MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
S3 
am of opinion that tho peculiar state ot the countrv at 
tlio time was the sole cause ot his being at tault. The 
rivers had risen above their banks, and inundated the 
plains to such an oxtout, that sometimes, as tar as the 
eve could reach, nothing but water, with occasional 
pine ridges and box forests, was visiblo in any direc¬ 
tion ; and we had to travel, for the most part, through 
water generally up to our horses knees, and often as 
high as the saddle flap. This water must have so 
changed the features ot tho “ darkeys’ home' 1 that lie 
could not recognise his old camps and hunting grounds. 
Be this as it mar, after the first day’s journey, which 
could not have exceeded twelvo miles, my sable guide 
was completely astray, although at first very unwilling 
to confess himself so. Before no confessed his inability 
to steer, it was very amusin'? to sea all the dodges lio 
tried to recover himself. Whenever he espied a troo 
higher than usual, ho would steer for it, no matter in 
which direction it appeared, and, having readied it, lie 
would climh to the top, in order to gain a more exten¬ 
sive view of the surrounding conntry. Ue would some¬ 
times remain perched on one ot these trees for half an 
hour or more, straining his eyes first in one direction, 
and then another, frequently extending his hand, and 
waving it up and down, as if he had at last discovered 
turn for tho information, tolling mo the “ blaok- 
fullowV name for them, frequently displaying, for 
a savage, superior intelligence in ins enquiries and 
remarks. But I fear that I have already over¬ 
stepped tho bounds of your patience by so long a digres¬ 
sion, and will at once resumo tho subject in hand, 
Tho pino scrubs, to which I have alluded as farm¬ 
ing an exception to the general rule which may bo 
applied to others, are always found growing on sand 
ridges, more or less elevated above tho general level 
of tho country; these ridges could only have boon 
formed by the aotiou of water, when tho country 
must have been frequently inundated to a fur greater 
oxtent than is now possible. Inundations such as 
these could only take placo previous to the existenco 
of rivers of sufficient magnitude to carry off the 
water arising in the higher lands, which in wet sea¬ 
sons must amount to an enormous quantity. In tho 
absenco of these the curronts of water could only 
have pursued their course to the soa, over the 
greater part of tho country, and thus forming nu¬ 
merous sand deposits, as currents always do. Tho 
seeds of the pines and others of a light and floating 
nature, carried from their original and more ele¬ 
vated native abodes, would naturally bo deposited 
waviu" it up and down, as if lip had at last discovered vated native auoues, wouiu nasurauy on 
his read. On descending ho would sometimes appear on these sand ridges, as the water receded front 
... .,„,i nir in hijrh snirits. hut shortly asain them, while sand being tlio most favourable kind of 
Ills lUUU. UU uwtcimiujj 'warn --I f 
confident, and start off in high spirits, but shortly again 
becomo undecided. During the whole of the second 
day, as ou the first, I submitted without interference to 
his guidance, because X had the utmost ^confidence in 
his sagacity as a guide, as indeed I have in tliat^of the 
whole race to which ho belongs—a race which, in spite 
of phrenologists, I firmly believe might he, if we un¬ 
derstood them bettor, brought within tho pale of Chris¬ 
tianity ; and if proper means were employed to ctvilue 
them, they probably would provo not the least intelli¬ 
gent of the nenus homo. It is far more raro to meet 
with an undoubted dolt amongst them than it is amongst 
our own countrymen. Our journey on the second day, 
although it must have exceeded twelve miles, 1 do not 
think brought us ono mile nearer our destination, On 
talking over tho day’s proceedings, Mickey, for that 
was the euphonious title by which my companion was 
distinguished from his fellows by his ituropean ac¬ 
quaintances, confessed himself out of his latitude. 
“ Bail me know I Bail ine make a light! Too much 
cobbaun water sit down! 1 believe mino looso ml! 
Cobbaua mine stupid cobra?" And such like, woro 
his candid replies to my enquiries, selected from bis 
English vocabulary, his features all the while express¬ 
ing the greatest concern. For the benefit of those who 
may not bo well up in tboir classics, I will translate 
these expressive sentences into vulgar English. 1 do 
not know! I cannot—understand or see through it ? 
There is a great deal too much wator! I think 1 have 
lost my way! My head is very thick, or I am a very 
stupid’fellow! The poor fellow was so grieved at Ins 
failure that he could not rest, and frequently, during 
this ni/dit, would start up with somo ejaculation ex¬ 
pressive of his confusion. On the following morning 
we changed places, Mickey qnite dejected, and I fre¬ 
quently had to wait for and cheer him up. Guided by 
the pine ridges, and other features of tho country, for 1 
had no compass, and the weather was cloudy and rainy, 
I succeeded in aspiring my friend with some degree of 
confidence, and on the sixth day arrived in sight of the 
tall timber which marks tho course of tho Murrum- 
bidgee. I might dwell long upon tho sport we met 
with on this excursion, and tell how tho native plaar, 
my companion, would secure a fat calf, and roast a 
portion for onr supper ; bow expert he was in find¬ 
ing and roasting eggs, and how he mado tlio long 
evenings pass pleasantly, by relating stories, sing¬ 
ing his nativo songs, and explaining their meaning ; 
and what interest he took when 1 explained various 
botanical facts, such as the Bexual differences of 
plants, the manner in which 3eods were formed, &<?., 
and never omitting to ask me “ white fellow’s” 
name for the trees and plants wo passed, and in re- 
on uie so s,tuu nu"uo, ....... 
them, while sand being tlio most favourable kind of 
soil for their growth, they would speedily spring up, 
reproduce themselves, and form the scrubs as al¬ 
ready described. And although continuing to pro¬ 
duce seeds for many years past, these pines have 
not spread over tho remainder of the country, but 
are still confined, and probably always will be, to 
tho sand ridges, because all tho rest of tho land is 
uufit for their growth, unless assisted by man. 
These facts still further bear out tho theory which 
wo have before decided to tako for granted, namely, 
the comparatively recent period at which the country 
indicated becamo “ dry land/’ and tho still more 
recent date when rivers were formed, or rather 
when tho water gradually woro channels for itself, 
—a process still in operation; and succeeding gene¬ 
rations may probably find rivers where none now 
exist. Central Australia, then having so recently 
become fitted for the production of plants and 
classes of a nutritious nature, and the soil and cli¬ 
mate differing so much from those of tlio other parts 
of tho countrv, from which alone it is natural to 
suppose seeds' could find their way to it by chance or 
accident, it is not surprising that it should be found 
deficient in the kind of vegetation suited to its par¬ 
ticular circumstances. No doubt the many species 
of grasses and herbs which are so abundant and so 
luxuriant on these vast plains, at certain seasons of 
the year, arc often of tho most valuable nature; but 
they are incapablo of enduring tho hot winds and 
drought so prevalent there. The same land that 
would furnish abundance of food for 100 cattle 
during a dripping spring would scarcely maintain a 
poor bandicoot during the succeeding summer,, un- 
less indeed be were clever enough, which he is, to 
find and subsist upon the seeds, which by this timo 
are thickly strewn upon the ground. \V by, then, 
should wo not seek to introduce and disseminate 
others better calculated to resist tho effects of these 
peculiarities, and which although they might not 
always be so rich, would prevent that wholesale 
starvation which S9 frequently takes place. And 
perhaps such success might result from some ol our 
experiments, that the land would be made to carry 
twenty or thirty times tho amount of stock that it 
is under present circumstances capable of doin". 
Thero are indeed some grasses amongst those al¬ 
ready there, rauoh better able to endure the arid 
climate than the generality of them ; but these are 
usually found very sparingly, aud from the nature 
of their seeds are not well calculated to spread 
about spontaneously, nor do any of them withstand 
long tho continual cropping of cattle or sheep. 
