formed
itself into a safe and navigable stream for any vessels of the minor
class. On the 6th the cliffs partially ceased, and on the 7th they gave
place to undulating and picturesque hills, beneath which thousands of
acres of the richest flats extended, covered, however, with reeds, and
apparently subject to overflow at any unusual rise of the river.

It is remarkable that the view from the hills was always confined.--We
were apparently running parallel to a continuation of the ranges we had
seen on the 2nd, but they were seldom visible. The country generally
seemed darkly wooded, and had occasional swells upon it, but it was one
of no promise; the timber, chiefly box and pine, being of a poor
growth, and its vegetation languid. On the 8th the hills upon the left
wore a bleak appearance, and the few trees upon them were cut down as
if by the prevailing winds. At noon we could not observe any land at
the extremity of a reach we had just entered; some gentle hills still
continued to form the left lank of the river, but the right was hid
from us by high reeds. I consequently landed to survey the country from
the nearest eminence, and found that we were just about to enter an
extensive lake which stretched away to the S.W., the line of water
meeting the horizon in that direction. Some 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 co