had, up to this point, adorned the shores
of Lake Victoria ceased at two miles, when we suddenly and at once found
ourselves travelling on sand, at the same time amidst reeds. The rich
soil disappeared, the trees becoming stunted and low. As the travelling
was also bad, we went along the margin of the lake, where the sand was
firm, although marked with ripples like those left on the sea-shore by
the tide, between the water and a line of rubbish and weeds inside of us,
so that it appeared the lake had not yet risen so high as the former
year. We had moved round to its eastern side, which being its lea side
also, the accumulation of rubbish and sand was easily accounted for. We
traversed about eight miles of as dreary a shore as can be imagined,
backed, like Lake Bonney, by bare sand hills and barren flats, and
encamped, after a journey of thirteen miles, on a small plain, separated
from the lake by a low continuous sand ridge, on which the oat-grass was
most luxuriant. The indications of the barometer did not deceive us, for
soon after we started it began to rain, and did not cease for the rest of
the day, the wind being in the N.E. quarter.

It continued showery all night, nor on the morning of the 16th was there
any appearance of a favourable change. At nine a steady and heavy rain
setting in we remained stationary.

The floods in the Rufus had obliged us to make a complete circuit of the
lake, so that we had now approached that little stream to within six
miles from the eastward. Our friend Nadbuck, therefore, thinking that we
were about to leave the neighbourhood, rejoined the party. With him about
eighty natives came to see us, and encamped close to our tents;
forty-five men, sixteen women, and twenty-six children. I sent some of
the former out to hunt, but they were not successful.

Amongst the natives there were two strangers from Laidley's Ponds, the
place to which we were bound. The one was on his way to Moorundi, the
other on his return home. Pulcanti had given us a glowing account of
Laidley's Ponds, and had assured us that we should not only find water,
but plenty of grass beyond the hills to the N.W. of that place. This
account the strangers confirmed; and the one who was on his way home
expressing a wish to join us, I permitted him to do so; in the hope that,
what with him and old Nadbuck, we should be the less likely to have any
rupture with the Darling natives, who were looked upon by us with some
susp