Of a Country on the Climate, 



217 



fore the almost constant supply of water is due to tlie height 

 alone, and not to the contour, nor to the prevalence of porous 

 strata. 



A somewhat remarkable feature of the river currents of 

 this country is their very tortuous course. The rivers Lod- 

 don and Campaspie, flowing northwards to the Murray, are 

 striking illustrations of this. The Yarra, the Saltwater 

 River, the Barwon, and the Moorabool, are scarcely less 

 capricious in their windings. This applies also to the creeks, 

 except those flowing from considerable elevations, such as 

 some of the tributaries of the Saltwater River, near Mount 

 Macedon, the creeks near Mount Alexander, &c. 



This peculiarity is explained by the configuration of the 

 country. When a current traverses low plains, with a very 

 slight fall, the force of the water is necessarily reduced, and 

 is insufficient to remove the rocks that occur in its course. 

 When sand or mud accumulatesj or any shght obstruction 

 occurs, the stream is diverted, and it gradually wears away 

 the opposite bank. The larger rivers, in this way, not un- 

 frequently cut through the narrow peninsulas, and leave 

 small islands, which mark the boundaries of ancient channels. 

 These can be seen on the Saltwater River, the Loddon, the 

 Coliban, and various others. 



The natural course of running water is proved^to be not 

 straight, but in lines of curves of great radius. My obser- 

 vations have led me to the conclusion that the radii of these 

 curves is in a ratio with the volume and velocity of the 

 stream. The calculations and experiments on which this 

 belief are founded are not sufficiently advanced to permit 

 me to enter into details.* 



The most considerable of the rivers of Victoria, flowing 

 northward is the Goulbourn. It drains very high lands, and 

 its extreme length is also very great. It is said to be navigable 

 for flat bottomed boats, ncai*ly as far as the town of Seymour* 



The rivers on the north-western parts of the province, 

 which flow to the Murray, traverse a great extent of sandy 

 waste, and present remarkable features. The river Avon, 

 after receiving the waters of the Richardson, flows nearly 

 due north to Lake Buloke, which is said to have no outlet. 

 The Avoca enters Lake Bael Bael. The Wimmera is lost 



* In Eng-land I have seen hundreds of pounds wasted from inattention to 

 this. The fact that water does not How in straight lines is well known to every 

 engineer, but I think the method of determining the radii of curves for arti- 

 ficial channels has never been sufficiently investigated. 



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