Yet when at its base, I do not think that we had ascended above forty feet higher than the plains in the neighbourhood of that last mentioned eminence.

There certainly is a partial rise of country, where the change of soil takes place from the alluvial deposits of the marshes, to the sandy loam so prevalent on the plains we had lately traversed; but I had to regret that I was unable to decide so interesting a question by other than bare conjecture.
Notwithstanding that Mr.Hume had already been on them, I encouraged hopes that a second survey of the country from the highest point of New Year's Range would enable us to form some opinion of it, by which to direct our future movements; but I was disappointed.
The two wooded hills I had seen from Oxley's Table Land were visible from the range, bearing south; and other eminences bore by compass S.W.
and W.by S.; but in every other direction the horizon was unbroken.

To the westward, there appeared to be a valley of considerable extent, stretching N.and S., in which latter direction there was a long strip of cleared ground, that looked very like the sandy bed of a broad and rapid river.

The bare possibility of the reality determined me to ascertain by inspection, whether my conjecture was right, and Mr.Hume accompanied me on this excursion.

After we left the camp we crossed a part of the range, and travelled for some time through open forest land that would afford excellent grazing in most seasons.