10 
DIBILAMBLE, 
No doubt, however, the face of the country in ordinary 
seasons wears a very different appearance. Its general ele- 
vation continued high ; nor did the Macquarie assume any 
change of aspect. Mountain debris and rounded pebbles 
of various kinds formed its bed, which was much encum- 
bered with timber. 
We had been unable to persuade any of the natives of 
Wellington Valley to accompany us as guides, on our 
leaving that settlement. Even Mr. Maxwell’s influence 
failed ; for, notwithstanding the promises of several, when 
they saw that we were ready to depart, they either feigned 
sickness or stated that they were afraid of the more distant 
natives. The fact is, that they were too lazy to wander far 
from their own district, and too fond of Maxwell’s beef to 
leave it for a piecarious bush subsistence. Fortunately we 
found several natives with Mr. Palmer’s stockmen, who 
readily undertook to conduct us by the nearest route to the 
cataract, which we considered to be midway between Wel- 
lington Valley and Mount Harris. We started under their 
guidance for Dibilamble, Mr. Palmer’s second station, and 
reached it about half-past 4 p. m. The distance between 
the two is sixteen miles. The country for some miles 
differs in no material point from that through which we 
had already passed. The same rich tracts of soil near the 
river and the same inferiority in the tracks remote from it. 
Near Dibilamble, however, the limestone formation termi- 
nates, and gives place to barren stony ridges, upon which 
the cypress callities is of close and stunted growth. The 
ridges themselves were formed of a coarse kind of freestone 
