30 
BEAUTIFUL PROSPECT. 
early as usual. At 7 a.m. a heavy thunder storm occurred 
from the N. W. after which the sky cleared, and we were 
enabled to push forward at 11, moving on a general 
W. N. W. course, over rich flats, which, having been 
moistened by the morning’s showers, shewed the dark 
colour of the rich earth of which they were composed. 
Some sand-hills were, however, observed near the river, of 
about fifteen feet in elevation, crowned by banksias ; and the 
soil of the flats had a very partial mixture of sand in it. 
How these sand-hills could have been formed it is difficult 
to say; but they produced little minor vegetation, and were 
as pure as the saud of the sea-shore. Some considerable 
plains were noticed to our right, in appearance not inferior 
to the ground on which we were journeying. At noon we 
rose gradually from the level of these plains, and travelled 
along the side of a hill, until we got to a small creek, at 
which we stopped, though more than a mile and a half 
from the river. The clouds had been gathering again in 
the N. W. quarter, and we had scarcely time to secure 
our flour, when a second storm burst upon us, and it con- 
tinued to rain violently for the remainder of the day. 
From a small hill that lay to our left Mr. M'Leay and I 
enjoyed a most beautiful view. Beneath us to theS.E. 
the rich and lightly timbered valley through which the 
Morumbidgee flows, extended, and parts of the river were 
visible through the dark masses of swamp-oak by which 
it was lined, or glittering among the flooded-gum trees, 
that grew in its vicinity. In the distance was an extensive 
