Miscellanea. 
361 
consequently falling into the Hume on the opposite bank to that 
on which we were travelling. We had already cleared the hilly 
country, and now found the river flats backed by extensive plains 
traversed by belts of trees, and covered with salsolaceous vege¬ 
tation. The river held a course to the northward of west, the 
descent being still considerable. About twenty-five miles below 
the junction of the Ovens, however, the current of the river 
became feebler, its waters were turbid, the flats along its bank 
expanded and appeared subject to inundation, and detached 
masses of reeds were scattered over them; these, at length, 
almost covered the primary levels, and by the increasing height 
of the rings upon the trees, we judged that we were pressing 
into a region subject at times to deep and extensive floods. Ac¬ 
cordingly as we advanced, the reeds closed in upon us, and we 
moved through them along narrow lanes or openings which the 
natives had burnt, the reeds forming an arch over our heads, and 
growing to the height of eighteen or twenty feet. Our progress 
was impeded by hollows, and the flats were intersected by chan¬ 
nels for carrying off the back waters from the extremity of the 
alluvial flats. 
On the 23rd of May, in latitude 35° 52' we were suddenly 
stopped by a small junction from the N. E., which the natives 
(numerous hereabouts) called the “ Delangen.” They informed 
us that the country to the north was under water, as indeed its 
appearance indicated, and that the country in front was impassa¬ 
ble. It was in truth an open expanse of reeds, into which the 
Hume directly led. In the event, therefore, of our being able to 
proceed to the N. W., it would become necessary for us to cross 
the river; but as I wished to ascertain the nature of the country 
upon my right, before I determined on this step, I sent my old 
follower Frazer into it, who reported to me that it would be idle 
to attempt a passage with drays, for that it was traversed by deep 
creeks full of dead timber, and masked by reeds, and that the 
further he proceeded the softer did the ground become under his 
horsed feet. We were, therefore, obliged to cross the Hume a 
little above the junction of the small stream which had stopped 
us. On the left bank, however, we were still in the midst of 
