AND PROCEED ALONE. 319 



abreast, I ran a short distance further, when I again 

 met the Albert, flowing on as before, with undi- 

 minished size. Even this short distance was some- 

 thing to gain in a new and untrodden country. 



The line of verdure still pointed out the southerly- 

 course of the river across the endless plain ; and it 

 became natural to speculate on its source or origin ; 

 whether it was the drainage of a swamp, or the 

 outlet of some lagoon, fed by the Cordillera to the 

 eastward. But to speculation alone was I reduced, 

 it not being permitted me to clear up this point. 

 All I could do was to give one long lingering look 

 to the southward before I returned. In that direc- 

 tion, however, no curling smoke denoted the presence 

 of the savage ; all was lonely and still; and yet even 

 in these deserted plains, equally wanting in the 

 redundance of animal, as in the luxuriance of vege- 

 table life, I could discover the rudiments of future 

 prosperity, and ample justification of the name which 

 I had bestowed upon them. I gazed around, de- 

 spite my personal disappointment, with feelings of 

 hopeful gratitude to Him who had spread out so fair 

 a dwelling place for his creatures ; and could not 

 refrain from breathing a prayer that ere long the 

 now level horizon would be broken by a succession 

 of tapering spires rising from the many christian 

 hamlets that must ultimately stud this country, 

 and pointing through the calm depths of the in- 

 tensely blue and gloriously bright skies of Tropical 

 Australia, to a still calmer and brighter and more 



