GEOLOGY OF THE COOMA DISTRICT, N.S.W. 215 
descend sheer into the water on both sides. The stream . 
continues in this young valley through schists and gneisses 
to a point about 9 miles N.N.E. of Cooma, where with a 
sharp S-bend it debouches from between its high containing 
walls into open country, after which it continues north- 
ward, flowing at the base of a steep escarpment which 
forms its western bank. 
During the eastward part of its course the river receives 
no tributaries from the north, but on the south bank it 
receives Bridle Creek (with its tributaries Wambrook and 
Peak Creeks), Slack’s Creek, Spring Creek and Snake Gully. 
These are all characterized, especially near their junctions 
with the river, by relatively steep grade and by V-shaped 
valleys. Slack’s Creek near its source flows in a broad 
shallow valley, of which mention will be made later, while 
Spring Creek rises at the northern extremity of Dairyman’s . 
Plain, a shallow valley up to three-quarters of a mile wide. 
After the river turns north it receives a couple of small 
youthful creeks, Butler’s Creek and another one, unnamed, 
on its right bank; on the left the only tributary of importance 
is Pilot Creek, which flows S.K. for 4 miles close up against 
the eastern side of a mature valley to within a mile of the 
river, when it plunges into a narrow gorge, joining the 
Murrumbidgee three-quarters of a mile north of Mittagang 
Bridge. Pilot Creek forms with the Murrumbidgee a boat- 
hook bend,* the flow of the river being directed northward, 
while that of its tributary is towards the south. 
The drainage of the country is mainly to the north. 
Cooma Creek and Cooma Back Creek pursue a more or less 
parallel course through open country in fairly wide valleys 
to within 5 miles of Cooma, when they begin to converge, 
uniting in the town to enter a deep valley cut through the 
Cooma gneiss and schists. Cooma Creek emerges from 
1 Griffith Taylor, op. cit. sup., p. 8. 
