MR. UUME’s report. 
39 
up the character of a river, we had still to determine. Unless, 
however, a decline of country should favour its assuming 
its original shape, it was evident that the Macquarie would 
not be found to exist beyond this marsh, of the nature and 
extent of which we were still ignorant. The loss of my 
barometer was at this time severely felt by me, since I 
could only guess at our probable height above the ocean ; 
and I found that my only course was to endeavour to force 
my way to the northward, to ascertain, if I could, from the 
bottom of the marshes ; then penetrate in a westerly direction 
beyond them, in order to commence my survey of the S. W. 
interior. I was aware of Mr. Hume’s perseverance, and 
determined, therefore, to wait the result of his report ere I 
again moved the camp, to which we returned late in the 
afternoon of the second day of our departure. We found it 
unsufferably hot and suffocating in the reeds, and were tor- 
mented by myriads of mosquitoes, but the waters were per- 
fectly sweet to the taste, nor did the slightest smell, as of 
stagnation, proceed from them. I may add that the birds, 
whose sanctuary we had invaded, as the bittern and various 
tribes of the galinule, together with the frogs, made inces- 
sant noises around us. There were, however, but few water- 
fowl on the river ; which was an additional proof to me that 
we were not near any very extensive lake. 
Mr. Hume had returned before me to the camp, and had 
succeeded in finding a serpentine sheet of water, about 
twelve miles to the northward ; which he did not doubt to 
be the channel of the river. He had pushed on after this 
