2(34 PICTURESQUE SCENERY. 11, 12 Aug. 
grey rock, formed an appropriate basement to such a superstructure. 
Close at the foot of this, the river silently crept along, forcing, its 
way between the rushes, which seemed as if endeavouring to smother 
its stream, or compel it to seek another course. Tiie opposite side 
of the defile, warmed by a glowing sunshine, and winding round out 
of sight, gradually receded in aerial perspective. The deserted 
silence of the spot, was broken only by the noise of wild geese, or 
the echo of my gun. I climbed the rocks, but found every thing- 
withered or quite parched up, and was able to collect nothing as a 
memorial of the Reed-iiver Pass, excepting a little plant of Her- 
mamiia, which appeared quite new and curious. 
Having before stated that the Reed river consisted at this season 
of merely an unconnected line of ponds, it may have appeared con- 
tradictory to describe it as running through the pass ; and I was 
myself surprised at the fact. On attentively examining the dry 
parts of the bed, it was found in most places, sufficiently loose and 
gravelly to admit of a passage for the water underground. Without 
this being the case, it would be difficult to account for the limpid 
clearness and purity of the water of these pools. 
Varying my route, in returning homewards, I came to a part of 
the river, where the wild beauty and harmonious tints of the land- 
scape detained me till I had taken a sketch. It was nearly sunset ; 
the water was smooth and transparent ; the distant hills glowed with 
a mild warm hue ; and there was a certain beautiful appearance in the 
rushes which grew in the water along the bank, that no painting 
could express. Their principal color was a fine dark sober green, 
enlivened by the sun. Towards the bottom, where they were con- 
stantly wetted by the gentle rippling of the stream, a dark line, 
nearly black, marked the division between the real and the reflected 
stalks, so resembling each other as almost to deceive the eye, and 
lead the spectator to believe tliat he saw rushes of a double length. 
Their tops being dead or half withered, were of every shade between 
white, Naples-yellow, and light-ochre, but more generally partaking 
of the white or the ochre. They spread in large extended patches, 
like a cornfield, often to a great distance from the water side, 
