NOTES OF A JOURNEY ON THE DARLING. 55 
I reached Gerrarra three days after leaving the Cato, and had 
an opportunity on the way of examining the cane swamps as they 
are called, of which I have more to say further on. Gerrarra, or 
Gerrarra Springs, belongs to a Mr. Shearer (who is a very old resi- 
dent in that part of the country), and is only remarkable for the 
springs from which the run takes its name. There are two springs 
situated within about a mile and a half of each other in a line i 
in th 
‘direction, which were known to him for a distance of 150 miles, 
i ing in some cases like those at Gerrarra, close 
together and in others separated by long intervals of waterless 
country. Some of the springs in this line overflow and some, as 
coloured sand slightly cemented together, out of which the water 
was coming. The cemented sand was resting on a very hard con- 
ee composed chiefly of quartz pebbles ; in fact, the same 
by droughts, and stands in 
these springs at a few feet below the general level of the surface 
of the country, not flowing over but standing always at the same 
height. They are situate nearly midway between the Culgoa and 
Warrego Rivers, being about 26 miles from the former and 35 
—— from the latter, and about 20 miles south of the acemioat 
are a 
the Warrego, between the Queensland 
and Bourke, and though I have seen some in other 
amps there are small islands, raised about a foot above the general ee 
evel, scattered over most of the flats, and on these islands, which 
