the
river. During a course of upwards of seventy miles not a single running
stream emptied itself into the river on either side; and I am forced to
conclude that in common seasons this whole tract is extremely badly
watered, and that it derives its principal if not only supply from the
river within the bounding ranges Of Princess Charlotte's Crescent. There
are doubtless many small eminences which might afford a retreat from the
inundations, but those which were observed by us were too trifling and
distant from each other to stand out distinct from the vast level
surface which the crescent presents to the view. The soil of the country
we passed over was a poor and cold clay; but there are many rich levels
which, could they be drained and defended from the inundations of the
river, would amply repay the cultivation. These flats are certainly not
adapted for cattle; the grass is too swampy, and the bushes, swamps, and
lagoons, are too thickly intermingled with the better portions to render
it either a safe or desirable grazing country. The timber is universally
bad and small; a few large misshapen gum trees on the immediate banks of
the river may be considered as exceptions. If however the country itself
is poor, the river is rich in the most excellent fish, procurable in the
utmost abundance. One man in less than an hour caught eighteen large
fish,
one of which was a curiosity from its immense size, and the beauty of its
colours. In shape and general form it most resembled a cod, but was
speckled over with brown, blue, and yellow spots, like a leopard's skin;
its gills and belly a clear white, the tail and fins a dark brown. It
weighed entire seventy pounds, and without the entrails sixty-six pounds:
it is somewhat singular that in none of these fish is any thing found
in the stomach, except occasionally a shrimp or two. The dimensions of
this fish were as follow: