I availed myself of the remainder of the day to examine the country for some miles to the westward, but there was no perceptible change in it.

The same barren plains, covered sparingly with salsolae and atriplex, characterised this distant part of the interior; and sandy ridges covered with stunted cypress trees, acaciae, hakeae, and other similar shrubs, proved to me that the productions of it were as unchanged as the soil.
As we had arranged, we broke up our camp earlier than usual on the 1st of October, for, from what Nadbuck had stated, I imagined that we had a long journey before us; but after going fifteen miles, we gained the river, and found that it was again trending to the north.

It had now risen more than bank high, and some of its flats were partly covered with water.

We had kept a N.N.W.course the whole day, and crossed hard plains without any impediment; but, although we kept at a great distance from the stream, we did not observe any improvement in the aspect of the country.
Our specimens, both of natural history and botany, were as yet very scanty; but we found a new and beautiful shrub in blossom, on some of the plains as we crossed the bight; and Mr.Browne discovered three nests of a peculiar rat, that have been partially described by Sir Thomas Mitchell.
Mr.Browne was fortunate enough to secure one of these animals, which is here figured.

The nests they construct are made of sticks, varying in length from three inches to three feet, and in thickness from the size of a quill to the size of the thumb.