CH. IV.] DISCOVERY OF WATER. 93 



as if gathered by water falling in that direction. Trifling as 

 this circumstance was, it was nevertheless unusual on that 

 level surface, and I endeavoured to trace the slope down- 

 wards, until my horse, who at other times would neigh after 

 his companions, here pulled hard on the rein, as if to cross 

 a slight rise before me. I laid the bridle on his neck, while 

 he proceeded eagerly forward, over the rise, and through 

 some wood, beyond which my eyes were once more blessed 

 with the sight of several ponds of water, with banks of shin- 

 ing verdure, the whole extended in a line which resembled 

 the bed of a considerable stream. I galloped back with the 

 good news to the party, whose desperate thirst seemed to 

 make them incredulous, especially as I continued our line of 

 route northward, until it intercepted, at about a mile on, as I 

 foresaw it would, this chain of ponds. It was still early ; but 

 we had already accomplished a good day's journey, and we 

 could thus encamp, and turn our cattle to browse on the 

 luxuriant verdure, which surrounded these ponds. They 

 were wide, deep, full, and close to each other, being sepa- 

 rated only by grassy intervals resembling dykes. Drift 

 timber and other fluviatile relics lay high on the banks, and 

 several wears for catching fish, worked very neatly, stood on 

 ground quite dry and hard. Lower down, as indicated by 

 the flood-marks, the banks were much more broken, and the 

 channel seemed deeper, while enormous blue gum-trees (euca- 

 lypti) grew on the banks, and I was therefore of opinion that 

 some larger river was before us at no great distance. I did 

 not explore this channel further, being desirous to refresh 

 my horses and rest the party for continuing our journey 

 next morning. In the soil here, the only rock I found was 

 a large, hard boulder, being a conglomerate of pebbles and 

 grains of quartz, cemented by decomposed felspar or clay. 

 Latitude 29° 9' 5V' S. 



Jan. 23. — After crossing the line of ponds and a slight 

 elevation beyond them, we came upon a channel of consider- 



