Volume II Part 28 (1/2)

To this part of the Albert that had given rise to such expectations we gave the naht bank to cook a meal and examine the country I shall here atteive the reader some idea of the beauty of the scene that now presented itself to our anxious gaze

(Footnote See the view annexed)

It was in truth as glorious a prospect as could greet the eye A nificent sheet of water lay before us in one unbroken expanse, reseentle repose harhs of the drooping gums, palms, and acacias, that clustered on the banks, and dipped their feathery foliage in the limpid stream, that like a polished etation by which it was bordered The report of our guns, as they dealt destruction a the quails that here abounded, rolled for the first ti in on the hush of stillness that appeared to reign over all like the presence of a spirit The country that stretched away fro coarse grass, above which was occasionally seen the head of a kangaroo, listening, with its acute ear, for our approach

No high land presented itself in any direction, and the eye was only relieved by the growth of trees and shrubs that marked the line of the watercourses, the natural drains of the country, which had foruh sreat depth, without a particle of stone of any kind, was the character of the soil

BIRDS AND FISHES

One of the boats tried the hooks and lines during our rambles over the country, and froht, we are enabled to state that this part of the Albert abounds with theeons and a beautiful finch, before seen on the Victoria, are to be nu the land birds Those of the water consisted of large brown, and seese, and a dark blue kind of rail, bearing a great reselish moor-fowl, that afforded us excellent sport, as they flew out in great nus that border the banks on the upper part of Hope Reach We did not see any black swans, neither were they noticed by us on the north-west coast I, myself, believe they are not to be found to the northward of latitude 27 degrees 0 minutes South This part of the river is subject to a tidal influence, producing a slight rise, which takes place about four hours after the tierness to proceed we moved off rapidly up the river, after a hasty meal All beyond wasin suspense; for the day soon closed in, leaving only the pale light of the ular, at two and a half fathoms, and the width two hundred yards We hastened onwards; the night scenery being almost more beautiful than the day The heavens seeraceful and feathery; and here and there a tall pale through which the ht broke at intervals, and fell, as it were, in showers of silver on the placid waters

Nearly seven miles had been traversed in the same South-West 1/2 South direction, when our hopes of proceeding further were suddenly for a time destroyed, by the appearance of a dense woody h theoff to the southward, whilst another, in the iving the great depth of six fathoms, ere induced to follow the latter Utter darkness soon surrounded us; the trees, on either side, over-shadowing the river, which in this branch was not eighty yards wide

PROGRESS IMPEDED

Our progress, also, at length began to be impeded by fallen or sunken trees, which not only rendered the ascent dangerous, but at the end of about two ht us to a standstill, and forbade our further advance This detention was a bitter disappointust, but with the hope that in the ust 4

Daylight brought no better hopes of our taking the boats higher up by this branch, as a succession of large trees lay across it a quarter of a ot into, and so sheltered that it seeh it; the leaves of the low-spreading pal dew, had unbroken edges, as if an eternal quietude had pervaded the spot

BEAUTY OF THE LANDSCAPE

This triste appearance wore off as the sun rose, and the scenery under his smiles was soon clothed with beauty Trees with every variety of foliage overhung each other, connected, as it were, by bowers of creepers depending in festoons and concealing odd-shaped fragments of fallen timber, which here and there reared their blackened heads out of the water, the unruffled smoothness of which was occasionally disturbed by the splash of solooh the dense surrounding foliage

Returning, we entered the south branch; the opening of which was almost equal in beauty, as the reader will perceive fro of the first volu about a mile and a half

Here we observed driftwood and rushes in the trees, fifteen feet above our heads It was now quite clear that all hopes of water carriage towards the interior were at an end The boats were at this time above fiftyof the re spent in land exploration, a party was immediately selected for this service

LAND EXCURSION

Following up a short woody valley, on reaching the summit of the level a view burst upon me, the nature of which the readerplate A vast boundless plain lay before us, here and there dotted over oodland isles Whilst taking the bearings of one of these to guide us in the direction ere to steer, I sent abeyond an extension of the plain was to be seen The river could be traced to the southward by a waving line of green trees; the latter were larger at this spot than in any other part, and consisted of tall palums No trace of the western branch could be discovered

Ti, as I have before said, very precious, we moved off in a South-South-East direction, at the rate of alrass lying on the ground and entangling our legs

THE PLAINS OF PROMISE

The soil was still a light-colouredto one so well qualified to judge as Sir W Hooker, who kindly exaland, is of a rich quality, confirested for this part of the continent, the name of The Plains of Proton affordedthe qualities of the two soils; and the result was that the richest land I saw there, in spite of the aid of manure, etc was very inferior to that on the Plains of Pro out over a terra incognita; and though no alpine features greeted our eyes as they wandered eagerly over the vast level, all was clothed with the charht which are naturally aroused in those whose feet for the first time press a new and rich country, and which I have so often before endeavoured in vain to express, burst forth on this occasion with renewed intensity

At the end of nearly four miles we turned off to the ard for a rise at a short distance, concealing the line of trees that radually receding We found it to be on the opposite side of a watercourse twenty-five feet deep Froot a view of the country to the south-west, over the growth of trees at the in of the river

(Footnote See the view annexed )

On this rise we ot away fro to our over-eagerness, as the bird was at first inclined to approach Proceeding a little farther we observed a s north half a mile Attracted by the beauty of the vernal tints on its borders ent to taste the waters On the sa errand was a luckless beautiful slate-coloured egret, which Mr Gore shot Holding our west course we made the river at the end of anotherscarcely fifteen yards wide, with a depth of five feet