Expeditions to South Australia, vol 2 | Page 8

make, so that I dispensed with his immediate
attendance. He overtook me, however, sooner than I expected, on the
banks of the Wallandilly. I had encamped under the bluff end of
Cookbundoon, and, having been disappointed in getting bearings when
crossing the Razor Back, I hoped that I should be enabled to connect a
triangle from the summit of Cookbundoon, or to secure bearings of
some prominent hill to the south. I found the brush, however, so thick
on the top of the mountain, that I could obtain no satisfactory view, and
and M'Leay, who accompanied me, agreed with me in considering that
we were but ill repaid for the hot scramble we had had. Crossing the
western extremity of Goulburn Plains on the 15th, we encamped on a
chain of ponds behind Doctor Gibson's residence at Tyranna, and as I
had some arrangements to make with that gentleman, I determined to
give both the men and animals a day's rest. I availed myself of Doctor
Gibson's magazines to replace such of my provisions as I had expended,
as I found that I could do so without putting him to any inconvenience;
and I added two of his men to the party, intending to send them back, in
case of necessity, or, when we should have arrived at that point from
which it might appear expedient to forward an account of my progress
and ultimate views, for the governor's information.
On the 17th we struck the tents, and, crossing the chain of ponds near
which they had been pitched, entered a forest track, that gave place to
barren stony ridges of quartz formation. These continued for six or
seven miles, in the direction of Breadalbane Plains, upon which we
were obliged to stop, as we should have had some difficulty in

procuring either water or food, within any moderate distance beyond
them. The water, indeed, that we were obliged to content ourselves
with was by no means good. Breadalbane Plains are of inconsiderable
extent, and are surrounded by ridges, the appearance of which is not
very promising. Large white masses of quartz rock lie scattered over
them, amongst trees of stunted growth. Mr. Redall's farm was visible at
the further extremity of the plains from that by which we had entered
them. It would appear that these plains are connected with Goulburn
Plains by a narrow valley, that was too wet for the drays to have
traversed.
BREADALBANE PLAINS.
Doctor Gibson had kindly accompanied us to Breadalbane Plains. On
the morning of the 18th he returned to Tyranna, and we pursued our
journey, keeping mostly on a W.S.W. course. From the barren hills
over which we passed, on leaving the plains, we descended upon an
undulating country, and found a change of rock, as well as of
vegetation, upon it. Granite and porphyry constituted its base. An open
forest, on which the eucalyptus mannifera alone prevailed, lay on either
side of us, and although the soil was coarse, and partook in a great
measure of the decomposition of the rock it covered, there was no
deficiency of grass. On the contrary, this part of the interior is
decidedly well adapted for pasturing cattle.
THE LORN.
About 1 p.m. we passed Mr. Hume's station, with whom I remained for
a short time. He had fixed his establishment on the banks of the Lorn, a
small river, issuing from the broken country near Lake George, and
now ascertained to be one of the largest branches of the Lachlan River.
We had descended a barren pass of stringy bark scrub, on sandstone
rock, a little before we reached Mr. Hume's station, but around it the
same, open forest tract again prevailed. We crossed the Lorn, at 2
o'clock, leaving Mr. Broughton's farm upon our left, and passed
through a broken country, which was very far from being deficient in
pasture. We encamped on the side of a water-course, about 4 o'clock,
having travelled about fifteen miles.

On the 19th, we observed no change in the soil or aspect of the country,
for the first five miles. The eucalyptus mannifera was the most
prevalent of the forest trees, and certainly its presence indicated a more
flourishing state in the minor vegetation. At about five miles, however,
from where we had slept, sandstone reappeared, and with it the barren
scrub that usually grows upon a sandy and inhospitable soil. One of the
drays was upset in its progress down a broken pass, where the road had
been altogether neglected, and it was difficult to avoid accidents.
Fortunately we suffered no further than in the delay that the necessity
of unloading the dray, and reloading it, occasioned. Mr. O'Brien, an
enterprising settler, who had pushed his flocks to the banks of the
Morumbidgee, and who was proceeding to