may, perhaps, be considered at least partly owing to its seeds being the
favourite food of some birds inhabiting such places, each seed probably
requiring to be picked out of the thick shell, in order that it may
grow.[*] The view the hill afforded me was most gratifying and
satisfactory. I saw again Mounts Bindango, Bindyego and Abundance, to the
southward; the cone I had lately visited in the west, (Mount Lonsdale):
the course of the river downwards, marked by open plains in the S. W.;
and, an extensive rather level country lay to the northward, beyond
which, at great distances, the summits of lofty mountains were just
visible. Through the wide champagne country intervening, the river's
course seemed marked by a line of smoke; a hot wind was then blowing, and
the natives are in the habit of burning off the old grass on such
occasions. The river seemed to come from the mountains, nearly from the
N.N.W.; so that the prospect of finding water in that direction, or
towards these mountains, was all I could desire. Here I intersected
various lofty distant summits seen on the 21st instant, and could thus
connect the whole trigonometrically with back angles to Bindango, Mount
Abundance, etc. In the eastward, a range of tabular masses, some almost
clear of wood, extended apparently to the coast ranges; and seemed to be
also connected with those stretching towards Bindango, and separating the
basin of the upper Balonne from this interior country. A hill similar to
that on which I stood, but of less height, lay on the interior side of
it, having a remarkable conic summit clear of bushes. The valley at the
base of these two hills contained a fine crop of ANTHISTIRIA; and there
was also a chain of ponds, where natives had been encamped not long
before, but in which no water then remained.

[* A new genus, since named DELABECHEA.]

On returning to the camp in the evening, I learnt that soon after I left