CH. IV.] PLAINS OF RICH SOIL. 83 



A great variety of ducks and other water-fowl covered this 

 fine piece of water. We made the latitude of the camp 

 29° 49' S. the longitude 149° 28' E. 



Jan. 15. — The country to the northward seemed so low, 

 and the course of the Gwydir, amid so many lagoons, so 

 doubtful, that I considered it advisable to ride in that direc- 

 tion, before we ventured to advance with our carts. I, there- 

 fore, set out this morning, accompanied by Mr. White, in the 

 direction already mentioned, of 20° west of north — so that, 

 in returning, the cone of Mount Riddell might guide us to 

 the camp, without any necessity for continuing the use of the 

 compass, which occasions much delay. In such cases, a hill, 

 a star, or the unerring skill of a native, is very convenient, 

 as obviating the necessity for repeatedly observing the com- 

 pass, in returning through pathless woods towards any point, 

 which might easily be missed without such precautions. 



We found in the course of a ride of twenty miles from the 

 camp, a much better country for travelling over, than that in 

 the immediate vicinity of the lagoon. We crossed, at eleven 

 miles, a line of ponds in a deep channel, whereof the bank 

 seemed the highest ground ; and, beyond them, was a rich 

 plain, with a few clumps of trees ; where the grass also was 

 remai-kably good. At twenty miles, the length of our ride, 

 we fell in with a second chain of ponds, beyond which we 

 saw another plain. We were delighted with the prospect 

 of so favourable a country for extending our journey, and, 

 not less so, with the apparent turn of the Gwydir, as indicated 

 by its non-appearance in our ride thus far. It was obvious, 

 that the more this river turned northward, the greater would 

 be the probability that it might lead to a channel uncon- 

 nected with that of the Darling — and terminate in some still 

 greater water, or open out a field of useful discovery. The 

 direction of the channels we had already crossed, however, 

 was somewhat to the south of west — and it was difficult to 

 account for their waters otherwise — than by supposing that 

 they came from the Gwydir. We could trace their course to 



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