Where do the Waters Flow?

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser

14 December 1827

Sir, In looking over the account published by Mr Oxley, of his tour down the Lachlan River, I find his statement as follows; viz. The River Lachlan, whose course is between five and six hundred miles, receives not a single stream in addition to two very small occasional streams; the one near Mount Prospect, the other westward of it in dry seasons, it is supposed that many parts of the river form only a chain of ponds, particularly the western part of it, it is from 20 to 120 feet wide, and from 5 to 12 feet deep, and occasionally overflows the surrounding country for several miles on each side of it , &c.

Now, Mr Editor, if this account be correct (and which we have no reason to suppose otherwise), I most respectfully beg leave to ask, through the medium of your valuable Journal, what become of the waters flowing in those streams, one or two hundred miles beyond the Murrumbidgee, and which were crossed by Messrs Hovell and Hume in their journey to Bass Straits ?

Some of those rivers are, I understand, from 80 to 100 yards broad, and very deep, running at the rate of 2 or 3 miles per hour, in a W.N.W. direction,

I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,

D. E. F. ?

Nov. 28, 1827