181 
Interior of New South Wales. 
the Almighty, and loyalty to my Gracious Sovereign, I named 
the river watering the best portion of the largest island in the 
world, the Victoria, and hastened back to my party on the 
Salvator. I reached that camp on the 8th ultimo, having been 
absent about a month, found the cattle and horses refreshed, and 
in condition for pursuing our route homewards. In nine days we 
reached the dep&t camp, where I left Mr. Kennedy with the 
heavy drays and cattle, and received the agreeable intelligence 
that, during the long period in which that party had been 
stationary, the natives had given no trouble; that the men were 
all well, and the old cattle in good condition. I had straightened 
the route in returning, so that it is now a most convenient 
road, well watered by permanent supplies. 
Mr. Kennedy’s enquiries amongst the natives led to a very im¬ 
portant discovery which we have since made, namely, that the 
Maranoa turns south about thirty miles below where he had his 
camp, and joins the Balonne only a day’s journey above the spot 
whence I write. We have explored and surveyed the Maranoa 
downwards, thus avoiding, in travelling by it, parts of the old 
route where we feared that ponds formerly small would be now 
dried up. We have also discovered on the banks of this river 
much rich pastoral land, and about 26° 30' S. open downs re¬ 
sembling on a smaller scale those on the Victoria ; and whether 
the vast extent of intervening country may not admit of a direct 
passage across from these to the central downs, without crossing 
the Plutonic Ranges, remains to be ascertained during a season 
when the water-holes are better filled. Into that country the 
channels of the Warrego and Nive turned when I had to leave 
them; much native smoke arose there; and I regret that I 
cannot now explore the course of these two rivers. 
The survey of the Maranoa forms a line permanently supplied 
with water and grass from this camp to the farthest limits I have 
reached; and directly in prolongation of my road across the 
Hawkesbury and Hunter, intended originally to have been made 
to Liverpool Plains. One link only is wanting to complete the 
chain ; it is from this natural bridge on the Balonne to the 
furthest point reached by me in my journey of 1831, a distance 
vol. in. NO. III. 
N 
