()4f SINGULAR APPEARANCE OF THE RIVER. 



bouring height, and thence to trace as far as possi- 

 ble the upward course of the river, preparatory to 

 a pedestrian excursion along its banks. Before 

 sunrise we reached the summit of a narrow ridge, 

 trending E. S. E. J a mile east, from where the 

 boats were lying: in this singular ridge I again 

 noticed the dip to the south-east : it was composed 

 of a variety of rocks, jasper, a greyish kind of 

 flinty indifferent limestone, and greywacke. The 

 view from it was very limited, the valley of the 

 river turning short to the northward, two miles east 

 by south of our position, to which we gave the 

 name of Station Hill. Before I had finished my 

 round of angles, the heat had become so great that 

 some of our party were compelled to return to the 

 boats, whilst myself, with two of the men, pushed 

 on for nearly two miles in an easterly direction, 

 along the foot of some table-topped hills, and were 

 then gratified with another peep at the river, which 

 had a very singular appearance, in some places 

 nearly dry, discovering a wide bed of large pebbles : 

 long narrow islands, whose shape attested the former 

 rapidity of the currents, covered with reeds and 

 acacias, and deep pools of standing water, were its 

 most characteristic features. Several kangaroos, 

 alarmed by our approach, hastily quitted their cool 

 hiding places, presenting beautiful shots ; but as the 

 traces of natives were both recent and numerous, 

 we thought it most prudent to reserve our fire, and 

 shortly after, upon finding a native fire still alight. 



