Early on the morning of the 11th of October, in company with Mr. Manton, I left “Mount Lavinia” to visit a part of the country about the Murrumbidgee river, and fourteen or fifteen miles distant from Yas. We crossed the extensive plains, and entered a bush track leading through a fine open forest country; some of the land was boggy, but the most part consisted of open forest, with rich pasturage, and was well circumstanced for the several sheep and cattle stations we passed. From the general excellent quality of land on and in the vicinity of the Yas plains, as well as being well watered, extensive purchases from the government have been made by the settlers already having grants here, and nearly the whole, with water frontage, has been purchased; I am inclined to think that this part of the colony will prove the richest and most valuable of almost any of the present known portions. On approaching the Murrumbidgee river, the character of the scenery increases in beauty, assuming even a romantic appearance,—the broken country adding to, rather than diminishing the effect: the day was cloudless, with a brilliant sun, so the prospect extended to a great distance;—green sloping hills, thinly timbered, only wanting the addition of mansions to the natural lawns and parks to perfect the landscape; flowers of great variety and gay colours strewed the ground in the utmost profusion; the indigo shrub (_Indigofera australis_) was also abundant in flower, with numerous other flowering plants; green natural fields decked the level land; the songs of birds, and their increased numbers, were sufficient to acquaint us that we were approaching a river. The scene was of the most animated description; in the distance long lines of “swamp oaks,” (_Casuarina palludosa_,) readily distinguished by their dark, peculiar appearance, indicated to us the course of the river. Having enjoyed the prospect from the elevation, we descended a steep hill, proceeded through a luxuriant pasturage, which was bounded by thinly-wooded hills, carpeted with verdure, and soon arrived on the bank of the Murrumbidgee stream, which may be, at this part, forty or fifty yards wide. On the opposite side of the river Mr. Manton possessed a grant, which he had just commenced to stock and cultivate: the locality appeared excellent during the cool months, but liable to be soon parched by the fervent summers.