CH. v.] RETURN TOWARDS THE CAMP, 107 



Thus terminated our excursion, to explore tins last disco- 

 vered stream ; for there was no necessity for extending it 

 further, as I could not suppose that it was any other than the 

 Darling. Into this river we had traced the Gwydir; the 

 junction of the Nammoy, also, could not be far distant; and 

 even that of the Castlereagh was only about 70 miles to the 

 south-west, which was the direction of the supposed general 

 course of the Darling. It was probable, that the streams we 

 had now explored, formed the chief sources of that river, 

 and that we had connected its channel thus at an interme- 

 diate point, with the basin of all those rivers which had been 

 crossed by Mr. Cunningham near the coast range above. It, 

 therefore, remained for me only to return to the party, which 

 had probably, by that time, finished the punt ; and there to 

 cross the river, in order to ascertain, by extending our jour- 

 ney, the nature of the country forming the northern or north- 

 western side of this extensive basin. 



Returning towards the camp with these intentions, we 

 halted to pass the night by some ponds near the river, having 

 observed the smoke of the natives' fires in the immediate 

 vicinity. At this place, many trees bore recent marks of their 

 stone tomahawks, and the soft banks of the river, were much 



on the 14th of January. Having been then between two rivers (at A), I chose 

 the bearing of 20° west of north, as given by the bearing of the high land (B) 

 in the opposite direction, and this junction (C) was now found to be exactly in 

 that line. That high land was a projecting point of a range ; the course of rivers 

 is conformable to the angles of such ranges, and, therefore, the rivers on each 

 side of me (at A), were not so likely to come in my way in the direction of A C, 

 as in any other direction I could have chosen. The chance of finding firm ground 

 in that direction was also better, as the rivers were only likely to continue sepa- 

 rate by the protrusion of some remote offset of ground between them, from the 

 salient feature B. 





