muddy flood-water of the river was then flowing. This stream was
nevertheless exactly what we wanted, being safely accessible to our
cattle, which the river itself was not. We therefore pitched our tents on
a spot where there was excellent grass, and wood was again to be had in
great abundance. We found in the adjacent scrub a remarkably rigid bush
with stiff sickle-shaped blunt leaves and mealy balls of flowers not
quite expanded;* also an acacia resembling A. hispidula, but the leaves
were quite smooth and much smaller.** In approaching this spot we had
passed along a low sandy ridge, every way resembling a beach but covered
with pines and scrub. A bare grassy hill extended southward from each end
of it; and the intervening hollow containing some water was evidently the
bed of a lake, nearly dry.

(*Footnote. It is found to be an acacia related to A. multinervia. A.
farinosa, Lindley manuscripts; ramulis angulatis glabriusculis,
phyllodiis rigidis carnosis incurvis linearibus apice latioribus
mucronatis multinerviis glabris: margine superiore infra medium
glanduloso, capitulis 2-4 axillaribus breviter pedunculatis farinosis.)

(**Footnote. For description see 19th September.)

June 23.

The most eastern of these smooth bare ridges was immediately above our
camp and, observing in it the regularity of curve which I had noticed in
others, I was struck with the analogy, and in these ridges being always
on the eastern shore of hollows or lakes, while the western was
irregularly indented, and was in some parts so abrupt as to have the
character of cliffs. The southern end of the ridges was generally the
highest.

WATER OF THE LAKES BRACKISH, OR SALT.

Perceiving no reeds near the lake nor any birds upon it I sent Mr.
Stapylton to taste the water, which he found to be quite salt, like that
of the sea. This and several of the other basins were surrounded by high
ground and were without any communication with the river.

NATIVES FLY AT OUR APPROACH.

I passed soon after another of these circular basins which, although much
smaller, presented similar features, and had some rather brackish water
in pools in the deepest part. During the day's journey we passed several
ridges connected with extensive basins in a similar manner, and in the
bottom of one of these I perceived Polygonum junceum growing amongst
yarra trees. On the western shore we saw the remains of large native
ash-hills. They were old and overgrown with bus