172 HISTORY OF FLOODS IN THE RIVER DARLING. 
“Tn the early part of 1850 Messrs. Mackinlay, M‘Cullum, and 
myself went up the Darling beyond settlement in search of new 
country. After a thorough exploration we decided on the country 
around Menindie, Parmamaroo, and T’dindionalogie, the latter 
falling to me by lot. The whole course of the river to a point 
about 60 miles above Menindie was then extremely dry. The 
river was in fact a chain of water-holes, in some places miles apart; 
but there was good feed for the horses in the river bed. The 
seasons continued dry until 1852, when splendid rains fell all 
through Riverina. After 1853 I did not again see the Darling. 
During the early part of 1852 I remember the blacks coming in to 
report a fresh coming down the river. We had to wait over aday 
before the water reached my station, and a most interesting sight 
it was to watch the living waters filling up each hole, and then 
rising suddenly and silently to a little wall of water between 2 and 
3.feet high, and pass onwards. During my fifteen years on the 
Lower Murray I can recall only two good seasons, in the others 
the rainfall may have ranged from 5 to 15 inches. I sold out im 
1861.” 
Wm. Camper, 26 May, 1886. 
There are many places in this river which are fordable, especially 
at sand-banks. The river is dry about 45 miles above Wentworth, 
and also in places about Pooncarie and Menindie. The Darling 
cannot run dry at Wentworth, as it is backed up by the Murray. 
y 
of getting into a deep hole. - 
“There is plenty of water in the Murray, in many places over x 
run off so rapidly into the Murray at the junction that a rise of 
feet-at Wilcannia scarcely makes any impression on the Da 
ao except that the current runs at double its ordinary 
aE See ON Sei rt eae er eee 
