north-east. We
still hoped to find a river running into Princess Charlotte's Bay.

September 27.

We proceeded North-East over alternating sandy ridges and marshy flats;
the latter, though dry where we passed over them, presented the
appearance of being generally inundated. We camped by the side of a rocky
creek, containing very little water.

September 28.

Just as we were about to start this morning, two natives, carrying a
bundle of reeds and a basket, passed within a short distance of our camp,
and seemed to take no notice of us. Our sheep were not to be found,
having rambled to a distance: although without a sheepfold, this was the
first instance in which the sheep had strayed; they generally remained by
the fire, towards which they were driven at night, till morning.

We had never seen a wild native dog during the journey. Our dog that we
had left behind came into the camp to-night, very much exhausted, having
travelled about thirty miles; he must have subsisted on nondas, as it was
impossible he could have caught anything, and we had seen him eat them
before. He died the following morning.

September 30.

After travelling a short distance we crossed a small river running
eastward: for some distance down it, the water was brackish, and at
spring-tide the salt water came up to our camp; but we obtained good
water from a small lagoon near the camp. We proceeded over a large plain
well covered with good grass, the soil stiff clay. We proceeded about
five or six miles on this plain, turning westward towards a lagoon
surrounded by Stravadiums and a few very large palms. We hoped to find
water in it, but it was dry, and fearing we should not be able to reach
water before dark if we proceeded in this direction, we thought it better
to return to our camp.

October 1.

We had prayers this day as usual on Sundays, at eleven o'clock. We saw
native fires at a distance to the north-east of our camp, but the natives
did not come near us. I went up what we fancied was the river by which we
had camped, but found it only a creek; but it had plenty of water in it
at this season. There were several small lagoons near it. There were
large drooping tea-trees (Melaleucas) growing on its banks, and large
palm trees, of the same kind as those I had seen in the plain the day
before, and which were by far the finest palms I had ever seen; the
trunks were not very high, from fifteen to thirty feet in height, but
very large in bu