y to one hundred yards wide and fifteen to twenty feet deep, and
flows a northward course. Started after spelling a time and went one and
a quarter miles on bearing of 239 degrees to Appadarannie, now a dry lake
with abundance of good feed in its bed; then went south by east eight
miles along the Cariderro Creek. It is a splendid one and well lined with
fine gumtrees, and as far as we went I may say was one continuous sheet
of water, and with not less than from 200 to 300 natives. I have named it
Browne Creek after W.H. Browne, Esquire. Many of the natives have
apparently quite white hair and beards; they were particularly anxious
that we should encamp with them; they were the first tribe that we fell
in with so fully armed, every man with a shield and a lot of boomerangs
and some with spears. I thought it better not to camp there as they had a
good deal of sneaking and concealing themselves from bush to bush, and
might have brought about a disturbance, which I did not desire. Took some
water in air bags and started out from the creek one and a quarter miles;
then on a bearing of 5 degrees for Appacalradillie lake, seven miles
fully. Crossed and camped on east corner of dry lake Marcourgannie, and
on the margin of the dry lake Merradaboodaboo; the bulk of this last lake
bearing north from this and splendidly grassed.

Tuesday, December 31.

Started at 6.30 a.m. to Appacalradillie lake, through side of Lake
Merradaboodaboo; passed several flooded flats proceeding east from
last-named dry lake--the first of which was an extensive one, passing on
our course from left round to the right and apparently round to south as
far as visible, then over alternate and indifferent flats and large
sandhills--a considerable deal of flooded land to the westward. At
fifteen miles arrived on top of a very prominent sandhill which I have
named Mount MacDonnell, from which hill opens out to our view two
beautiful lakes which, in honour of her Ladyship and His Excellency the
present Governor of South Australia, I have named respectively Lake
Blanche and Lake Sir Richard, separated by a small sandy rise through
which passes a small channel that connects them, and which I have named
New Year's Straits.

Wednesday, January 1, 1862.

Started at 6.45 round the first lake, Blanche (Lady MacDonnell) to where
the creek passes through a low sandhill and connects it with the other
lake, Sir Richard (His Excellency the Governor). The first-named of t