148 MR. DIXON*S SURVEY OF THE BOGAN. [CH. I. 



Darling, and that this service should be performed by the 

 survey department. 



Until that time, I had understood the supposed course of 

 the Darling to have been sufficiently evident, but from the 

 necessity for this survey, and circumstances which I had not, 

 imtil then, fully considered, I began to entertain doubts on 

 that subject. It seemed probable, from the divergent courses 

 of the Macquarie and Lachlan, that these rivers might be- 

 long to separate basins, and that the dividing ridge might be 

 the " very elevated range," which Mr. Oxley had seen, ex- 

 tendino- westward between them. It was obvious that this 

 range, if continuous, must separate the basin of the Darling 

 from that of the river Murray. 



As a preliminary step towards the exploration of the Dar- 

 ling, Mr. Dixon was sent, in October 1833, with instruc- 

 tions to trace the ranges between the rivers Lachlan and 

 Macquarie, by proceeding westward from Wellington Valley. 

 Instead, however, of doing this, Mr. Dixon first followed the 

 Macquarie downwards from Wellington Valley, and then 

 crossing to the Bogan, which flowed at that time bank-high, 

 he followed the course of this river for 67 miles, and finally 

 returned without having seen any of the high land between 

 the Macquarie and the Lachlan, which he had been sent to 

 investigate. A season so favourable for exj)loring that high 

 land, did not occur for four years afterwards, but it was 

 within that period, and during a long continued drought, 

 that the two succeeding expeditions were sent to ascertain 

 the course of the Darling. 



Preparations had been made for the depaiture of the ex- 

 pedition in the month of March following, but my duties as 

 u commissioner, to investigate claims to grants of land, 

 having been then urgent, the undertaking was deferred until 

 the next season.* 



* A report had also been required of me by Tiis Majesty's government on the 

 business of my dcpurtment gcncriilly, Jiinl the duties required under a com- 

 mission for a survey and division of the Colony, Kc. 



