To-day we were obliged to fetch up what water we required for our own use, from the holes in the granite rocks near the river, that lying on the ground near our camp being too salt for use.

June 27.—­Upon moving on this morning we passed towards the Mount Barren ranges for ten miles through the same sterile country, and then observing a watercourse coming from the hills, I became apprehensive I should experience some difficulty in crossing it near the ranges, from their rocky and precipitous character, and at once turned more southerly to keep between the sea and a salt lake, into which the stream emptied itself.  After getting nearly half round the lake, our progress was impeded by a dense and most difficult scrub of the Eucalyptus dumosa.  Upon entering it we found the scrub large and strong, and growing very close together, whilst the fallen trees, dead wood, and sticks lying about in every direction, to the height of a man’s breast, rendered our passage difficult and dangerous to the horses in the extreme.  Indeed, when we were in the midst of it, the poor animals suffered so much, and progressed so little, that I feared we should hardly get them either through it or back again.  By dint of great labour and perseverance we passed through a mile of it, and then emerging upon the beach followed it for a short distance, until steep rocky hills coming nearly bluff into the sea, obliged us to turn up under them, and encamp for the night not far from the lake.  Here our horses procured tolerable grass, whilst we obtained a little fresh water for ourselves among the hollows of the rocks.

Our stage had been about thirteen miles, and our position was S. 30 degrees E. from East Mount Barren, the hills under which we were encamped being connected with that range.  Most properly had it been called Mount Barren, for a more wretched aridlooking country never existed than that around it.  The Mount Barren ranges are of quartz or reddish micaceous slate, the rocks project in sharp rugged masses, and the strata are all perpendicular.

June 28.—­Upon getting up this morning we saw the smoke of native fires along the margin of the lake, at less than a mile from us.  They had already noticed our fire, and called out repeatedly to us, but as I did not wish to come into communication with them at all, I did not reply.  Soon afterwards we saw them in the midst of the lake carrying boughs, and apparently fishing.  Three miles from the lake we crossed a small salt stream, and a mile further another.  Four miles beyond the latter we came to a very deep narrow salt lake, swarming with swans, pelicans, and ducks.  As the passage between the lake and the sea appeared to be scrubby, and very similar to that we had found so much difficulty in passing yesterday, I turned to the north-west to head it inland; but had not proceeded far before I found our progress stopped by a large salt-water stream, which joined the lake, and whose course was through steep precipitous ravines.  By following the river upwards I came to a place where we could descend into its basin, and as the water there, though brackish, was still drinkable, I halted for the night after a stage of fourteen miles.  The horses were a good deal tired with the rough hilly road they had passed over, and having been without water last night, stood greatly in need of rest.