ur first bivouac on the creek, when we left the
natives, with whom we parted on very good terms, and a promise on their
part to come and see us. On the 17th started at quarter-past six for the
eastward, with as much water as we could carry in the cart, as from the
accounts of the natives we scarcely hoped to find any. For the first five
miles we kept a course rather to the north of east, nearly E.N.E. indeed,
to round some sand-hills we should otherwise have been obliged to cross.
There were very extensive plains to our left, on which water must lie
during winter; but their soil was not good, or the vegetation thick upon
them. We could just see the points of the northern flat-topped ranges
beyond them. At five miles we turned due east, and crossed several small
plains, separated by sandy undulations, not high enough to be termed
ridges; the country, both to the south and east, appearing to be
extremely low. At about fifteen miles, just as we were ascending a sand
hill, Mr. Browne caught sight of a native stealing through the brush,
after whom he rode; but the black observing him, ran away. On this Mr.
Browne called out to him, when he stopped; but the horse happening to
neigh at the moment, the poor fellow took to his heels, and secreted
himself so adroitly, that we could not find him. He must, indeed, have
been terribly alarmed at the uncouth sound he heard.

A short time before our adventure with the native we had seen three
pelicans coming from the north. They kept very low to the ground, and
wheeled along in circles in a very remarkable manner, as if they had just
risen from water; but at length they soared upwards, and flew straight
for the lagoon where we had left the natives. With the exception of these
three birds, no other was to be seen in those dreary regions. Both Mr.
Browne and I, however, rode over a snake, but our horses fortunately
escaped being bitten; this animal had seized a mouse, which it let go on
being disturbed, and crept into a hole; it was very pretty, being of a
bright yellow colour with brown specks. Arriving at the termination of
the sand hills, we looked down upon an immense shallow basin, extending
to the north and south-east further than the range of vision, which must,
I should imagine, be wholly impassable during the rainy season. There was
scarcely any vegetation, a proof, it struck me, that it retains water on
its surface till the summer is so advanced that the sun's rays are too
power