From thence I saw an open country to the northward, with some little
wood. On my right, or to the eastward, a double topped hill sate in the
centre of this fine open country, and from the abundance of good
pasturage around it, I named it Mount Abundance. We continued still to
follow the now attenuated channel upwards, and found it to come from the
west, and even south-west, leaving the extreme corner of the open downs,
and leading us into a scrub. There, it formed two branches, in neither of
which could we find any water, and had consequently to return to the last
of its ponds, situated exactly at the close of the open country towards
the S. W. There, we encamped in latitude 26° 42' 27" S., thankful that we
had been enabled by its means to advance thus far, and to discover so
fine a tract of country as that watered by it. Thermometer, at sunrise,
48°; at 4 P. M., 68°; at 9, 30°.

8TH MAY.--This morning Fahrenheit's thermometer stood at 21° in my tent,
a degree of cold I should never have expected to have seen indicated from
my own sensations, or from the state of the pond, which was not frozen,
neither was there any hoar frost. The sun rose in splendour; pigeons
cooed, and birds were as merry as usual in the woods. The business of the
day was most exciting; I was to ride over the fine open country to the
westward of Mount Abundance, and there look still for a higher branch of
the river, or A river; confident that so fine a region could not be
deficient in water, but more confident from what I had seen of the range
to which we had approached so near. Riding to the N. N. E. in about two
hours we came upon the identical river we had so long followed up. It was
accompanied, as usual, by the Acacia pendula; had its rounded bergs;
reedy water holes; and an open strip along the left bank. Crossing it I
rode over towards an elevated part of the open downs, in hopes to obtain
a sight of what the country was beyond, but I found that to be
impossible, as it seemed boundless. So, turning, I ascended an elevated