ater OF FLOODS IN THE RIVER DARLING, 171 
| Mr. ELM. MKinlay, under date November 19, 1885,says:—“On 
Black Thursday, February 6, 1851, I left Melbourne on @ journey 
to the Darling, and travelled nearly as far up as After 
forming the station we had to camp with our horses in sis bed of 
the river, as there was not a bite of grass to be had away from it. 
The bed of the river was then, and had been for dni quite 
dry, with the exception of small water-holes at considerable dis- 
uneasy about the condition of the coun ntry. Ata station 
ceil 150 miles from Wentworth, on the 8.E. bank of the river, 
I saw a spring of cool, clear water running out of a small hollow 
sapling that had been inserted into the bank.” 
. D. F. Mackay, under date November 21, 1885, says :—“ In 
June, 1865, I travelled down the Darling from Brewarrina to 
within 50 miles of the pana of the Darling and the Murray. 
The country was a perfect desert, and we had to feed the cattle in 
the bed of the river, a there was not a vestige of grass on the 
plains. The bec e river was dry for miles in many places— 
simply a chain of w. rai -holes, some of which were quite salt, 
especially near Bourke.” 
r. J. F. Haydon, under date November 21, 1885, says:—“ The 
river Anicendiinte above this town (Wilcannia Yhas stopped running 
in several places, and is lower than it has been since the middle 
of 1876. As, however, a flood cannot reach here for almost two 
months if rain were to fall now in New England, it is the gene 
opinion that the water will be lower in the Middle Darling than 
it has ever been seen, and unless heavy rains fall at its source not 
later than February there is a prospect of the water supply being 
insufficient for the stock on the frontages. In 1876, at a point 
18 miles above this, the bed of the river was perfectly dry for a” 
quarter of a mile, and in other places the water had ceased running. 
It is almost in the same state now, and must be worse before a 
flood come.” 
E. Morely, Esq., J.P., Claremont. 
Agone of the early pioneers of the Darling, I would like to add 
my mite to the data you are accumulating, and from which I trust 
you may in time be able to furnish valuable hints to the dwellers 
in these dry regions. 
“In the year 1846 I took up the station known as Euston. It- 
continued to be the outside station on the Murray until the laté 
John Mackinlay, some eight months afterwards, occupied country — 
lower down. So far as I can distinctly recall the first three 
Seasons there, they were dry, and the rainfall probably between 
7 and 10 inches. 
P 
