wrapped all in impenetrable mystery. Still we ran on keeping close to the
eastern low land, and just as we found that the course we held no longer
appeared to follow the direction of the channel, out burst the moon above
the hills in all its glory, shedding a silvery stream of light upon the
water, and revealing to our anxious eyes the long looked-for river,
rippling and swelling, as it forced its way between high rocky ranges.
Under any circumstances the discovery would have been delightful, but the
time, the previous darkness, the moon rising and spreading the whole
before us like a panorama, made the scene so unusually exciting, that I
forbear any attempt to describe the mingled emotions of that moment of
triumph. As we ran in between the frowning heights, the lead gave a depth
of eighteen and twenty fathoms, the velocity of the stream at the same
time clearly showing how large a body of water was pouring through. "This
is indeed a noble river!" burst from several lips at the same moment;
"and worthy," continued I, "of being honoured with the name of her most
gracious majesty the Queen:" which Captain Wickham fully concurred in, by
at once bestowing upon it the name of Victoria River.

A glance at the map will show that we have not overrated its importance,
or acted hastily in calling it the Victoria; and it must be admitted that
as the Murray is to South-eastern Australia, so in value and importance
is the great river Victoria, to the opposite side of the continent.

Pursuing our course between the rocky heights, in a south-east direction,
the outline of a high peaked hill, standing between two ranges, became
visible, appearing, even at that time, so remarkable as to be named
Endeavour Hill.* The wind failing, we pushed into a small opening out of
the stream, on the right hand, to pass the night.

(*Footnote. Afterwards found to be 690 feet, the highest in the