tolerably lofty ranges were visible to the westward at the distance
of forty miles, beneath which that shore was lost in haze. A hill, which I
prejudged to be Mount Lofty, bearing by compass S. 141 degrees W. More to
the northward, the country was low and unbacked by any elevations. A bold
promontory, which projected into the lake at the distance of seven
leagues, ended the view to the south along the eastern shore; between
which and the river the land also declined. The prospect altogether was
extremely gratifying, and the lake appeared to be a fitting reservoir for
the whole stream which had led us to it.

In the evening we passed the entrance; but a strong southerly wind heading
us, we did not gain more than nine miles. In the morning it shifted to the
N.E. where we stood out for the promontory on a S.S.W. course. At noon we
were abreast of it, when a line of sand hummocks was ahead, scarcely
visible in consequence of the great refraction about them; but an open sea
behind us from the N.N.W. to the N.N.E. points of the compass. A meridian
altitude observed here, placed us in 35 degrees 25 minutes 15 seconds
S. lat.--At 1, I changed our course a little to the westward, and at
4 p.m. entered an arm of the lake leading W.S.W. On the point, at the
entrance, some natives had assembled, but I could not communicate with
them. They were both painted and armed, and evidently intended to resist
our landing. Wishing, however, to gain some information from them,
I proceeded a short distance below their haunt, and landed for the night,
in hopes that, seeing us peaceably disposed, they would have approached
the tents; but as they kept aloof, we continued our journey in the
morning. The water, which had risen ten inches during the night, had
fallen again in the same proportion, and we were stopped by shoals shortly
after starting. In hopes that the return of tide would have enabled us to
float over them, we waited for it very patiently, but were ultimately
obliged to drag the boat across a mud-flat of more than a quarter of a
mile into deeper water; but, after a run of about twenty minutes, were
again checked by sand banks. My endeavours to push beyond a certain point
were unsuccessful, and I was at length under the necessity of landing upon
the south shore for the night. Some small hummocks were behind us, on the
other side of which I had seen the ocean from our morning's position;
and whilst the men were pitching the tents, walked