26 VESTIGES OF MU. OXLEy’s ENCAMPMENT. 
the same ground, and could not discern the waters in its 
channel; so much had they fallen below their ordinary 
level. He saw the river when it was overflowing its banks ; 
on the present occasion it had scarcely sufficient water to 
support a current. On the summit of the greater eminence, 
which we ascended, there remained the half-burnt planks of 
a boat, some clenched and rusty nails, and an old trunk ; 
but my search for the bottle Mr. Oxley had left was un- 
successful. 
A reflection naturally arose to my mind on examining 
these decaying vestiges of a former expedition, whether I 
should be more fortunate than the leader of it, and how 
far I should be enabled to penetrate beyond the point 
which had conquered his perseverance. Only a week be- 
fore I left Sydney I had followed Mr. Oxley to the tomb. 
A man of uncommon quickness, and of great ability, the 
task of following up his discoveries was not less enviable 
than arduous ; but, arrived at that point at which his jour- 
ney may be said to have terminated and mine only to com- 
mence, I knew not how soon I should be obliged, like him, 
to retreat from the marshes and exhalations of so depressed 
a country. My eye instinctively turned to the North-West, 
and the view extended over an apparently endless forest. 
I could trace the river line of trees by their superior height ; 
but saw no appearance of reeds, save the few that grew on 
the banks of the stream. 
Mount Foster, somewhat higher than Mount Harris, on 
the opposite side of the river, alone broke the line of the 
