I haven't done a river rock one but I have done stone and brick ones.
You have to start off with a flat surface, then sand about an inch thick
Lay the stone out, leveling each and working it into the sand.
Then fill the joints with sand. I always run a tamper over them after everything is laid down.
Make sure all the sand is worked into the joints..
Thanks Mayor.
This one is a rock (almost like pebbles) walkway laid over concrete, there's some sort of epoxy bonding agent that hold it together. The closet thing I can compare it to would be pouring a concrete sidewalk or floor. We'll post a picture for you when it's done.