f this table land, was from three to
four hundred feet.

The day turned out fine and clear, and the effect produced by refraction
in these vast plains was singular and deceptive: more than once we turned
considerably out of our way to examine some large timber, as we thought
it to be, to the north of us, but which, upon our approach, proved to be
low scrubby bushes. At another time we imagined we saw two natives in the
distance, and went towards them as carefully and cautiously as we could;
instead, however, of our having seen the heads of natives, as we
supposed, above the bushes, it turned out to be only crows. Yet the
native boy, whose quickness and accuracy of vision had often before
surprised me, was equally deceived with myself. Upon halting in the
evening our sheep again were very tired, and refused to eat. The horses
too were now beginning to feel the want of water, and fed but little. I
therefore sat up and watched them until half past eight, after which I
tied them up to some bushes. At one o'clock I again got up and let them
loose, hoping they might feed a little better in the cool of the night.
The scud was rapidly passing the moon, and I watched for hours the clouds
gathering to the south and passing to the north, but no rain fell.

March 9.--Moving on early we passed through a similar country to that we
had before traversed; but there was more of the tea-tree scrub, which
made our travelling more difficult and fatiguing. This kind of scrub,
which is different from any I had seen before, is a low bush running
along the ground, with very thick and crooked roots and branches, and
forming a close matted and harassing obstacle to the traveller. The sheep
and horses got very tired, from having to lift their legs so high to
clear it every step they took. To the westward we found the country
rising as we advanced, and the cliffs becoming higher; they now answered
fully, where we could obtain a view of any projecting parts, to the
description given by Flinders--"the upper part brown and the lower part
white;" but as yet we could not find any place where we could descend to
examine them. The lower, or white part, appeared soft and crumbling, and
its decay had left the upper, or harder rock, fearfully overhanging the
ocean. Upon the summits we again found flints in the greatest abundance
lying loosely scattered over the surface.

The day was cloudy and gathering for rain, but none fell. After
travelling twenty-five