ts of the rocks and difficulties against which I should
have to contend. They agreed, however, in saying that there was both
water and grass at the lake; in consequence, I sent Mr. Browne with
Nadbuck to examine the locality on the morning of the 12th, as the
distance was not greater than from six to seven miles. He returned about
one P. M., and informed me that there was plenty of feed for the cattle,
and water also; but that the water was at least a mile and a half from
the grass, which was growing in tufts round the edge of the lake. It
appeared that the Williorara made a circuitous and extensive sweep and
entered Cawndilla on the opposite side to that of the river, so that he
had to cross a portion of the lake, and thus found that the floods had
not reached it. Mr. Browne also stated that the extent of the lake was
equal to that of Lake Victoria, but that it could at no time be more than
eighteen inches deep. It was indeed nothing more than a shallow basin
filled by river floods, and retaining them for a short time only. Immense
numbers of fish, however, pass into these temporary reservoirs, which may
thus be considered as a providential provision for the natives, whose
food changes with the season. At this period they subsisted on the
barilla root, a species of rush which they pound and make into cakes, and
some other vegetables; their greatest delicacy being the large
caterpillar (laabka), producing the gum-tree moth, an insect they procure
out of the ground at the foot of those trees, with long twigs like
osiers, having a small hook at the end. The twigs are sometimes from
eight to ten feet long, so deep do these insects bury themselves in the
ground.

Mr. Browne communicated with a tribe of natives, one of whom, a very tall
woman, as well as her child, was of a copper colour.

From the information he gave me of the neighbourhood of Cawndilla, I
determined, on the return of Mr. Poole, and in the event of his not
having found a better position, to move to that place; for it was evident
from his continued absence that he must have crossed the creek at a
distance from the lake, and not seeing any grass in its neighbourhood,
had pushed on to the hills. I was now anxious for his return, for we had
had almost ceaseless though not heavy rain since he left us. On the 12th,
the day he started, we had thunder; on the 13th it was showery, with wind
at N.W., and the thermometer at 62 degrees at 3 P. M., and the barometer
at