182 
VALLEY OF THE MURRAY. 
of all the tributaries of the main stream, ere its effects can 
be felt in the lower parts of the Murray. If the valley of the 
Murray is not subject to flood, it has only recently gained a 
height above the influence of the river, and still retains all 
the character of flooded land. In either case, however, it 
contains land that is of the very richest kind — soil that is 
the pure accumulation of vegetable matter, and is as black 
as ebony. If its hundreds of thousands of acres were practi- 
cally available, I should not hesitate to pronounce it one of the 
richest spots of equal extent on earth, and highly favoured 
in other respects. How far it is available remains to be 
proved ; and an opinion upon either side would be hazard- 
ous, although that of its liability to flood would, most 
» 
probably, be nearest to truth. It is, however, certain that 
any part of the valley would require much labour before it 
could be brought under cultivation, and that even its most 
available spots would require almost as much trouble to 
clear them as the forest tract, for nothing is more diffi- 
cult to destroy than reeds. Breaking the sod would, 
naturally, raise the level of the ground, and lateral drains 
would, most probably, carry off all floods, but then 
the latter, at least, is the operation of an advanced stage of 
husbandry only. I would, however, observe that there are 
many parts of the valley decidedly above the reach of 
flood. I have, in the above observations, been more 
particularly alluding to the lowest and broadest portions 
of it. 1 trust I shall be understood as not wishing 
to overrate this discovery on the one hand, or on the other, 
