89 
weather, temperature, &c. 
porarily deserted. Macnamee, who had wandered a little 
from the tents, declared that he had seen about a dozen 
natives round a fire, from whom (if he really did see them) 
he very precipitately fled, but I was inclined to discredit 
his story, because in our journey on the following day, we 
did not see even a casual wanderer. 
The river maintained its character, and raised our hopes 
to the highest pitch. Its breadth varied from 150 to 200 
yards ; and only in one place, where a reef of iron-stone 
stretched nearly across from the left bank, so as to contract 
the channel near the right and to form a considerable 
rapid, was there any apparent obstruction to our navigation. 
I was sorry, however, to remark that the breadth of alluvial 
soil between its outer and inner banks was very inconsider- 
able, and that the upper levels were poor and sandy. Blue- 
gum generally occupied the former, while the usual pro- 
ductions of the plains still predominated upon the latter, 
and shewed that the distant interior had not yet undergone 
any favourable change. We experienced strong breezes 
from the north, but the range of the thermometer was high, 
and the weather rather oppressive than otherwise. On the 
night of the 16th, we had a strong wind from the N.W., 
but it moderated with day-light, and shifted to the 
E.N.E., and the day was favourable and cool. Our pro- 
gress was in every way satisfactory, and if any change 
had taken place in the river, it was that the banks had 
increased in height, in many places to thirty feet, the soil 
being a red loam, and the surface much above the reach ot 
