ASPECT or THE COUNTRY. 
17 
case in looking to the north, towards which point the hills 
forming the right of the valley by which we had entered 
the plains, decreased so rapidly in height that they were 
lost in the general equality of the more remote country, 
almost ere they had reached abreast of my position. 
From E. S. E. to W. S. W. the face of the country was 
hilly, broken and irregular ; forming deep ravines and 
precipitous glens, amid which I was well aware the Mo- 
rumbidgee was still struggling for freedom; while moun- 
tains succeeded mountains in the back-ground, and were 
themselves overtopped by lofty and very distant peaks. 
To the eastward, however, the hills wore a more regular 
form, and were lightly covered with wood. The plains 
occupied the space between them and Pouni ; and a 
smaller plain bore N. N. E. which, being embosomed in the 
forest, had hitherto escaped our notice. 
We overtook the party just as it cleared the open 
ground through which it had previously been moving. 
A barren scrub succeeded it for about eight miles. The 
soil in this scrub was light and sandy. 
We stopped for the night at the head of a valley that 
seemed to have been well trodden by cattle. The feed, 
therefore, was not abundant, nor was the water good. We 
had, however, made a very fair journey, and I was unwil- 
ling to press the animals. But in consequence, I fancy, of 
the scarcity of food, they managed to creep away during the 
night, with the exception of three or four of the bullocks, 
YOU. II. 
c 
