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here is the question - at this encampment the bed of the river is full 18 or 20 feet below the level surface of the flat - and whole section shows the same rich earth - with the exception of a strata of stony gravel similar to the bed of the watercourse which appears to spread under this soil - Most of the stones are of the trap family - and the presence of this rock being the criteria of good soil in NW. Wales - the rich deep soil of this & other plains may be considered as the products of the surrounding mountains - by their decomposition then all time past - Occupied most of the day in working some observations at equal altitudes to ascertain the apparent time - by which it appeared that the chronometer [wished?] rather to apparent time at Sydney than meantime - Tried at latitude by spherics - but the result was not satisfactory - day was very hot but a thunder cloud and some rain in the evening afforded a little relief - the night was a dead [?] and very close - with mosquitoes.
Thursday 8th Decr. Set off at 1/2 p. 7 - Found a road about a mile E. of the camp - which continued to Loder's station at [?] miles in a very direct line, bearing 335º throughout - [at] that station a creek appeared before us called Cuiwarrinda by the natives, its course below the station bore 325º -- I here [?] with a native names Jemmy to be show the best way to Wallamoul (Peel's Ruin) - on condition that he should have a tomahawk when we got there - We had to cross the creek, which was very steep in its banks there - soon after (at a miles miles distance) another creek - which though smaller, had a soft muddy bottom - half baked but soft below - one of the wheels of the first dray stuck fast, and we worked to dig before the other wheel to bring the dray into such a position as enabled the bullocks to draw it out, - at length [we] crossed this and fortunately found no more for about six miles - keeping a very good direction - we then had to cross two more which joined just below - in neither of these was there any water, and it being now half past four I wished to encamp - The natives found a green mantling pool in the bed of the river, and by making a hole in the adjacent sand obtained some very clear and cool ---