REACH A LARGE RIVER. 
85 
erected, and at first thought, from the manner in which it 
was pi’opped up, that some unfortunate European must 
have placed it there as a mark to tell of his wanderings, but 
we afterwards concluded that it might be some superstitious 
rite of the natives, in consequence of the untowardness of 
the season, as it seemed almost inconceivable that an Euro- 
pean could have wandered to such a distance from the 
located districts in safety. 
The creek had flooded-gum growing upon its banks, 
and, on places apparently subject to flood, a number of tall 
straight saplings were observed by us. We returned to the 
camp, after a vain search for water, and were really at a loss 
what direction next to pursue. The men kept the cattle 
pretty well together, and, as we were not delayed by any 
preparations for breakfast, they were saddled and loaded at 
an early hour. The circumstance of there having been na- 
tives in the neighbourhood, of whom we had seen so few 
traces of late, assured me that water was at hand, but in 
what direction it was impossible to guess. As the path 
we bad observed was leading northerly, we took up that 
course, and had not proceeded more than a mile upon it, 
when we suddenly found ourselves on the banks of a noble 
river. Such it might in truth be called, where water was 
scarcely to be found. The party drew up upon a bank 
that was from forty to forty-five feet above the level of the 
stream. The channel of the river was from seventy to 
eighty yards broad, and enclosed an unbroken sheet of 
water, evidently very deep, and literally covered with pc- 
