138 
or logs with rubbish in time of flood. In 1849 I made some surveys in the town of Gundagai, which was 
situated on an island formed by the Murrumbidgee and an anabranch. Consequently when the flood 
came there was no escape for the inhabitants, and seventy persons were drowned. I took an early oppor- 
tunity of visiting this river from Yass downwards, and, shortly on rounding a steep point, came upon a 
remarkable excavation, 3 or 4 feet broad, about 2 feet deep, too broken and uneven for spade work 
something approaching to three or four furrows of a plough. I followed it up, und soon ascertained the cause, 
a large-sized gum-tree had been washed down head first, and would have been carried completely across 
the low flat at the base of the hill ; but it was firmly held by a powerful root which acted like an anchor, 
but had torn up the ground so far en route, and thus caused this remarkable excavation. The cause of 
these anabranches and islands in these rivers was thus readily explained. (J. F. Mann, in a letter to the 
Author.) 
(c) Stock. I desire to emphasise the damage caused by the trainpling of 
horses and cattle, and by the nibbling and eating out of all vegetation in drought 
seasons. Let each landowner have his special crossing-places for cattle, such places 
to be so arranged and prepared that the minimum damage of banks may be secured. 
(See pages 131.) 
VII. Remedies and Preventive Measures. 
(a) Control of llingbarking (see page 134). 
(1} Fencing. Let me insist upon the judicious fencing of banks to protect 
their edges from stock and other traffic. I look upon this as one of the most impor- 
tant factors in preventing the erosion of the banks of rivers. 
(c) Embankments. At present, owners of houses and shops, and farmers, 
are put to an increasing expense in protecting their properties by means of stone, 
pile, or paling embankments ; but in many cases the methods they are adopting are 
those of Mrs. Partington sweeping back the ocean, for the floods get at the back of 
their fortifications and the last stage is worse than the first. In many cases the 
owners have large areas of additional land, and do not bother about the problems 
concerned in the erosion of river banks. The probability is that if a man had only 
40 acres, and he lost 10 by a washaway, he would become alarmed, while a large 
landowner might treat the matter with comparative indifference. 
What we see in West Maitland houses perched on crumbling banks, and 
left more or less stranded we see on a smaller scale, e.g., at Murrurundi on the 
Page River, and in many other towns and villages on smaller creeks. If the 
welfare of West Maitland were alone at stake, then it might be worth while to 
resume the town, and to sell the site for farms. But what really is at stake is the 
rich soil along the whole course of the river, and we should do all \vc can to prevent 
this marrow of the country from being wasted. 
It is really pitiable to witness the destruction now going on; all our ri\crs are suffering in the 
Castlereagh, Lachlan, Hunter, and Cudgegong ; in fact, the silting up of valuable waterholes and the 
washing away of alluvial flats everywhere is a serious matter. T recommend many settlers to endeavour 
to save their property by means of fascines properly constructed, but they are mostly satisfied by throwing 
a few saplings, which are carried down by the first flood, and do more harm than good. 
Attracted by a fine stretch of water in the Cudgegong River, about 10 miles above Rylstone,a 
friend of mine purchased a property and built a fine house on the bank of the river ; the river soon showed 
signs of silting up, and although in the first instance he could row a boat on the stretch of water, in a few 
