Page:Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, volume 2.djvu/125

 become a river of considerable magnitude, running to the sea. The late Surveyor-General, Mr. Oxley, was accordingly dispatched, in the winter of 1817, to trace, in the first place, the course of the Lachlan; and, having myself just arrived in the colony, I most gladly accepted an invitation to join, under so able and intelligent an officer, the first expedition which was undertaken for the purpose of exploring the interior of the Australian continent.

The River Lachlan, as will be remembered, was followed by the party through a flat inhospitable country, and so far from its forming a junction with the Macquarie, it was found not to receive even a single tributary stream in any part of its long and tortuous course, which, with great patience and perseverance, Mr. Oxley explored beyond the westernmost range of hills to an interior, a dead level, forming a chain of plains, which appeared alone bounded by the horizon—their ample surface bearing the very evident proofs of being, in seasons of continued rains, extensively inundated. Over these Australian steppes, which were not more than two hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea, Mr. Oxley pushed his way westerly, in his further examination of this river; and, notwithstanding the slimy nature of their surface, and the distressed condition of his horses, he was, nevertheless, enabled to continue his journey upwards of one hundred miles to the westward of the last rise or hill-like undulation of that part of the interior, before his progress was arrested by extensive and impassable morasses, the river (if worthy of the name at that extremity of his journey) having divided itself into several small channels, and its water having become perfectly stagnant, and unfit for use. This termination of the labours of the expedition, westerly, occurred in longitude 144½° E.; and during the stay of the party at that remote station, besides the many astronomical observations which were taken to determine its position, the rising amplitude was observed, as at sea, which gave 7° 25' easterly variation. Of the extent of those vast levels the party could form no just idea. In the direction in which the expedition had proceeded down the river, namely, from N.E. to S.W., a chain of plains, destitute of trees, extended for upwards of one hundred and thirty miles; and, at right angles with that line of bearing, namely, from N.W. to S.E., the flat country appeared alone terminated by the horizon. Still, however, it must be observed, that where the mind and the sight are alike fatigued by the monotonous character of the view around, the traveller naturally becomes impressed with the idea that the extent of the open country he is traversing, is far greater than it is in reality.

With a reduced stock of provisions, and at a distance of more than four hundred miles inland from the colony, Mr. Oxley