and most pleasing to us, so long accustomed to travel through a level
woody country. The visible possibility of overlooking the country from
any eminence, is refreshing at all times, but to an explorer it is every
thing; besides he is not half so much in danger of wanting water, when in
the neighbourhood of mountains: with these sentiments I went forward this
morning, even although rather despairing of seeing more of our friendly
river. We crossed two chains of dry ponds, apparently some of its highest
sources. Still I travelled steadily towards a fine mountain before us,
over open downs, but with scrubs on either side. Reaching a dry bushy
hill S. E. of the mountains, about the time we should have encamped, I
perceived that the country sloped most to the eastern side of it, which
was rather out of my course; for the sake of finding water more readily I
got into a water-course falling that way, and followed it down. This,
opening soon into grassy flats, enabled us to avoid the scrubs. The
welcome white-trunked Eucalyptus next over-hung the holes of the water-
course, and the valleys spread into beautiful open plains, gracefully
fringed with Acacia pendula. Still, the ponds were dry. I crossed a bare
grassy eminence, and, where several channels met, I saw luxuriant white
trunks; heard and saw many cockatoos of the same colour (PSITTACUS
GALERITUS); and found there an abundant pond of water, beside which we
encamped. On some of the Eucalyptus trees grew a beautiful Loranthus,
which was new to us; it proved to be one formerly discovered by the
indefatigable Allan Cunningham, but only now described by Sir William
Hooker.[*] Thermometer, at sunrise, 28°; at 4 P. M., 76°; at 9, 38°;--
with wet bulb, 34°.

[* L. NUTANS (All. Cunn. in Hook. Herb.) totus incano-glaucescens, foliis
oblongis ellipticis sublanceolatis obtusis coriaceis obscure trinerviis
tenui-rubro-marginatis basi in petiolum mediocrem attenuatis, pedunculis
axillaribus longitudine petiolorum racemosis compositis, floribus ternis