th loose
pieces of calcareous rock; the soil was moist in some places, and, though
generally barren, was overspread with grass and shrubs, interspersed with
a few clumps of small trees. After walking two miles we reached the lake,
but to our mortification the water was brackish and not drinkable; the
distance, besides, from Port Lincoln was too great to roll casks over a
stony road. This piece of water was named _Sleaford Mere_. It is one mile
broad, and appeared to be three or four in length. The shore was a
whitish, hardened clay, covered at this time with a thin crust, in which
salt was a component part. The sun being too near the horizon to admit of
going round the mere, our way was bent towards the ship; and finding a
moist place within a hundred yards of the head of the port, I caused a
hole to be dug there. A _stratum_ of whitish clay was found at three feet
below the surface, and on penetrating this, water drained in, which was
perfectly sweet though discoloured; and we had the satisfaction to return
on board with the certainty of being able to procure water, although it
would probably require some time to fill all our empty casks.

SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 1802

Early in the morning a party of men was sent with spades to dig pits; and
the time-keepers and astronomical instruments, with two tents, followed
under the charge of Mr. Flinders. I went to attend the digging, leaving
orders with Mr. Fowler to moor the ship and send on shore empty casks.
The water flowed in pretty freely, and though of a whitish colour, and at
first somewhat thick, it was well tasted. Before the evening the
observations for the rates of the time-keepers were commenced; and the
gunner was installed in the command of a watering party, and furnished
with axes to cut wood at such times as the pits might require to be left
for replenishing.

The necessary duties being all set forward under the superintendance of
proper officers, I employed the following days in surveying and sounding.
The direction of the port was too remote from the meridian to obtain a
base line from differences of latitude, which, when observed in an
artificial horizon, and at stations wide apart, I consider to be the
best; nor was there any convenient beach or open place where a base line
could be measured. It was therefore attempted in the following manner:
Having left orders on board the ship to fire three guns at given times, I
went to the south-east end of Boston Islan