In the course of the afternoon, we traversed several flats, on which the rough-gum alone was growing.
These flats were evidently subject to flood; and contained an alluvial soil.
They became more frequent as we travelled down the river, and the work was so heavy for the animals, that I was obliged to keep wide of them, in doing which we struck upon a creek of large size, coming from the N.E.
and, having crossed, we traversed its right bank to its junction with the Castlereagh, and stopped close to it at a pond of water, though the feed for the animals was bad.

The country to the left of the river, though somewhat high, was the same, in essential points, as that to the right.
The Castlereagh seemed to have increased in size below the creek, but still it had no resemblance to a river.

We had not proceeded very far down its banks, on the 18th, when we crossed a broad footpath leading to it from the interior.

I turned my horse to the left, and struck upon a long sheet of water, from which I startled a number of pelicans.

It was evident that the natives had recently been in the neighbourhood, but we thought it probable they might have been a hunting party, who had returned again to the plains.