CH. III.] FORTUNATE DISCOVERY OF WATER. 65 



was now four p. m., and during the whole journey from six 

 A. M., we had seen no water ; the day also was exceedingly 

 warm, and I was riding in advance of the party, and looking 

 at some elevated ground in an opening of the wood, with 

 thoughts of encamping there, but very doubtful whether we 

 should ever see water again. When almost in despair I ob- 

 served a small hollow, with an unusually large gum-tree 

 hanging over it ; and my delight under such circumstances, 

 may be imagined, when I perceived on going forward, the 

 goodly white trunk of the tree reflected in a large pond. A 

 grassy flat beside the water proved quite a home to us, afford- 

 ing food for our cattle, and rest from the fatigues of that 

 laborious day. We found these ponds in situations, which 

 seemed rather elevated above the adjacent plains, at least 

 their immediate banks were higher ; hence we usually came 

 upon them, where we least expected to see water, before we 

 were acquainted with this peculiarity of the country. The 

 pond, where we now encamped, was connected with several 

 others that were dry, but it was quite impossible at that time 

 to discover, which way the current ran in times of flood. The 

 latitude was 30° 6' 30'' south. In the evening, the sky was 

 illuminated so much by an extensive fire in the w^oods near 

 us, that the light was clearer in our camp than the brightest 

 moonlight. 



Jan. 4. — Continuing due north, we just avoided some 

 thick scrubs, which either on the right or left, would have 

 been very difficult to penetrate. The woods opened gra- 

 dually however, into a thick copse of acacia pendula, and 

 at the end of three miles, we reached the eastern skirts of 

 an extensive open plain, the ground gently undulating. At 

 4| miles, on ascending a slight eminence, we suddenly over- 

 looked a rather deep channel, containing abundance of 

 water in ponds, the opposite banks being the highest ground 

 visible. The vast plains thus watered, consist chiefly of a 

 rich dark-coloured earth, to the depth of 30 or 40 feet. 

 1 F 



