170 HISTORY OF FLOODS IN THE RIVER DARLING. - 
pretty low again and kept so, when our real dry times set in ; only. ee 
slight showers up to the end of the e year. a 
‘Tn 1878 the season had broken about Coonamble and Dubbo; 
but it did not do much good to the Darling. All the Queensland 
tributaries quite dry, and no rise to speak of in the Barwon, which — 
I walked across 60 miles above Walgett in May. Things kept 
getting drier until end of year, when I took 24,000 sheep belong- . 
ing to the Bishop of Newcastle on fa the road for grass ; we had — 
plenty of water on the Birie Rive a 
“ Six days before Christmas, 1878, T had to go from Coonamble 
to Brenda, on the Culgoa, within 7 miles of the Quee P 
Brenda until two days before Christmas, and I rode the 160 miles — 
in the two days, and well I know that all the creeks were dry, and 
the Barwon only just running. ie 
“Tn 1879 I got back to Brenda on the Culgoa in April. The é 
creeks were rising very rapidly, and in June there was a great > 
rise. The avling rose very steadily all through shearing, and ag 
kept rising until all the tributaries St ; bankers,’ and kept well 
up until November. I had to travel down to Wilcannia from a 
Goodooga, and had to strike right out on to the Warrego, thence ia 
on to the ‘Paroo, and run it down to get there 
**In 1880 the Darling was no great height with the winter, when 
there was a good rise. All through shearing the Quee 
waters came down a — height, and kept the river well up_ 
until the end of the yea : 
Tn the Appendix will “é found notes of the — 1858 to 1870, 
and river measures for 1870, kindly given to me by Mr. Suttor, 
which cover part of the same period as Mr. MIntosh’s history. 
Recollections of the Darling River. 
Mr. Basil gee ae on oe under date aes November Ts 
a chain of water-holes from Walgett to Yambecoona, and it 
not run until 1841. In 1846, again, the river got very low, ane 
could easily be crossed on orseback in many ss Again, ¥ 
I left that district, ver that time many other stations } 
taken up below w ours.” 
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