As we proceed up the Darling, we shall see a clue to this phenomenon.

But why, it may be asked, do not such floods more frequently occur?
Is it that the climate is drier than it once was, and that the rains are less frequent?
There are vestiges of floods over every part of the continent; but the decay of debris and other rubbish is so slow, that one cannot safely calculate how long it may have been deposited where they are so universally to be found.
After passing the Great Bend, as I have already stated, we turned to the eastward and overtook Mr.Poole at noon, not more than eight miles distant.

Some of the bullocks had strayed, and he had consequently been prevented from starting so early as he would otherwise have done.

The animals had, however, been recovered before we reached the party, and were yoked up; we pushed on therefore to a distance of nine miles, cutting across from angle to angle of the river, but ultimately turned into one of the flats and encamped for the night.

We passed during the day through some low bushes of cypresses and other stunted shrubs, but they were not so thick as to impede our heavy drays, by the weight of which every tree they came in contact with was brought to the ground.