from E.S.E. to W.S.W. there was an
open sea. We had kept the lead going from the first, and I was
surprised at the extreme shallowness of the lake in every part, as we
never had six feet upon the line. Its bottom was one of black mud, and
weeds of enormous length were floating on its surface, detached by the
late gales, and which, from the shallowness of the lake, got constantly
entangled with our rudder.

We tried to land on the eastern point, but found the water too shallow,
and were obliged to try the western shore. In passing close under the
head, we observed several natives upon it, who kindled a large fire as
soon as they saw they were noticed, which was answered from every
point; for, in less than ten minutes afterwards, we counted no fewer
than fourteen different fires, the greater number of which were on the
side of the ranges.

SHORES OF THE LAKE.

As we were standing across from one shore to the other, our attention
was drawn to a most singular object. It started suddenly up, as above
the waters to the south, and strikingly resembled an isolated castle.
Behind it, a dense column of smoke rose into the sky, and the effect
was most remarkable. On a nearer approach, the phantom disappeared and
a clear and open sea again presented itself to our view. The fact was,
that the refractive power upon the coast had elevated the sand-hillocks
above their true position, since we satisfactorily ascertained that
they alone separated the lake from the ocean, and that they alone could
have produced the semblance we noticed. It is a singular fact, that
this very hillock was the one which Capt. Barker ascended whilst
carrying on the survey of the south coast, and immediately previous to
his tragical death.

It was not without difficulty that we succeeded in landing on the
western shore; but we did, at length, succeed, and prepared our
dinners. The shore was low, but above the reach of all floods; the soil
was rich, and superficially sandy. It was covered with high grasses,
and abounded in kangaroos; within the space of a few yards we found
five or six, but they were immediately lost to us and to the dogs in
the luxuriance of the vegetation amidst which they were feeding.

As soon as we had finished our meal, we once more embarked, and stood
along the shore to the S.W., but the lake was so shoal, that I was
every moment apprehensive we should ground. I ran across, therefore, to
the south, towards a low flat that had just a