164 An Histwical Review of the 



water lakes, west of Lake Torrens, filled by thunder showers at 

 the summer season, hut changing afterwards by evaporation, 

 and by the solution of saline particles from the soil to 

 salt-lagoons. 



From a little Island in Lake Torrens, Captain Freeling found 

 the view desolate in the extreme, the shallow waters, low islands 

 and mud extending around three parts of the horizon. 



From the evidence of the preceding pages, it will appear that 

 any large unknown rivers, which would afford the means of 

 penetrating far inland can no where be expected to exist, unless 

 between the FitzRoy River in North-western Australia and 

 Shark's Bay on the Western Coast. 



With the extent of the Murray and its mighty tributaries we 

 are now fully acquainted. 



Mr. Eyre's researches proved the absence of large rivers from 

 the head of Spencer's Gulf to Russell Range in West Australia, 

 and Captain Sturt's observations are conclusive as regards the 

 want of large watercourses to the northward of Lake Torrens, 

 although the improbability of any great mountain drainage, 

 entering the north-west side of that lake, remains yet to be 

 proved. In eastern tropical Australia the ranges dividing coast 

 and inland waters are nowhere very distant from the sea, the 

 western slope of the inland ranges not leading extensive water 

 currents into the interior, one instance excepted, that of the 

 Barcoo. 



The length of the watercourses entering the southern part of 

 the Gulf of Carpentaria has been determined, either positively, 

 or may, as in the instance of the Leichhardt and Flinders Rivers 

 be assumed from analogy not to exceed about 150 miles, whilst 

 the absence of high mountains as far as 18° south throughout 

 the whole interior precludes the possibility of any large river 

 occurring in the southern vicinity of that parallel. The want 

 also of large westerly tributaries to theBurdekin,to the Belyanda 

 and Barcoo Rivers render the existence of high, extensive, and 

 well-watered ranges in the unexplored portion of the eastern 

 tropical interior quite unlikely. 



Still the Cape River and the Clarke River, both untravelled, 

 may perhaps afford the means of penetrating with facility to one 

 degree westward of the Burdekin. From the observations of 

 Eyre, Sturt, Mitchell, Kennedy, and Gregory, we may infer, that 

 the deserts observed by these explorers at such distant points 

 of the interior, yet found to be of so great general resemblance, 

 are contiguous. Cheerless as this prospect must appear to the 

 labours of future travellers, it must not be forgotten, that not 



