228 RETURN TO THE CAMP. [CH. V. 



group, in the line of its summits between north-east and 

 south-west. 



W Urban' s Group from the West. 



The Steep and rocky face of the ridge thus formed, is towards 

 the river, or westward. Eastward, lower features branch off, 

 and are connected by slight undulations, with some of the 

 otherwise isolated hills in that quarter. Towards the base, 

 is a very fine-grained sandstone, and at the summit, I found 

 a quartzose rock, possessing a tendency to break into irre- 

 gular polygons, some of the faces being curved. There are 

 a few stunted " pines" on the higher crest, but the other 

 parts are nearly bare. The highest point of Helvelyn (which 

 I take to be the southern summit), is distant from the nearest 

 bend of the Darling 17| miles, on a line bearing 151° from 

 N., and from the highest part of Oxley's Table-land, which 

 bears 4.3° from N. (variation 6° 30' E.) ; it is distant 39 

 miles. At this sunmiit, the western extremity of Dunlop's 

 range, forms with Oxley's Table-land, an angle coinciding 

 with the general course of the Darling, which flows through 

 the adjacent plains at an average distance of about 16 miles 

 from each of these points. 



It was nearly sunset, when T mounted my horse at the 

 foot of Helvelyn, intending to return to the Darling, for there 

 being no other water in the whole country at that time, my 

 intention was to travel back to tliis river by moonlight. I 

 had found, however, during my ride to this hill, that the 

 intervening country was covered by a half-burnt scrub, pre- 

 senting sharp points, between which we could scarcely hope 

 to pass in safiUy by moonlight with our horses, since even 

 in daylight, we coukl not proceed, except at a very slow 

 pace. The half-burnt branches were armed with points so 



