Recent Explorations in South Australia. 61 
overflowed with water only one inch deep. He then had the 
boat brought, and this, though on other occasions a light burden 
for two men, was now, in consequence of the mud, carried with 
difficulty by six, one quarter of a mile, where finding only two 
inches of water, they returned. The final experiment was ex- 
tremely dangerous. The party waded knee-deep through viscid 
and tenacious mud, three miles from the shore, and found but 
six inches of water. They were much fatigued with the labor, 
and under constant apprehension at every step of sinking in 
some treacherous quagmire, and were rejoiced at their “ good 
fortune in coming upon two small islands, raised but little above 
the general level, where they rested before retracing their course.” 
Two of the y, however, more courageous than the rest, 
ushed on for the north shore, thinking to wade across the lake. 
heir hardihood had nearly proved fatal, for after accomplishing 
about two miles farther, they became so exhausted, that it was 
only by the utmost labor that they were enabled to rejoin their 
comrades. They repo the water somewhat deeper and the 
mud slightly more yielding. Thus ended the expectations of 
the government in that quarter. Freeling pronounces the ap- 
earance of the lake, its islands, and the opposite shore as seen 
y Goyder to be due to the mirage. 
The expedition of Stephen Hack in the summer of 1857 from 
Streaky Bay to Lake Gairdner and its vicinity, has proved of 
far greater practical importance than either of the two already 
noticed. “The new grazing lands discovered to the south of 
Lake Gairdner comprise an area of more than 4,500 square 
miles.” Hack skirted the south shore of this great lake, but for 
various sufficient reasons he was obliged to discontinue his ex- 
plorations, and he returned across the country to Port Augusta. 
r. Harris, surveyor to the expedition, took by azimuth obser- 
vations, combined with determinations of latitude, the position of 
all permanent bodies of fresh water, and of the mountains 
on the route, and charted the outlines of the lake-shore 
y the results of trigonometrical measurements. Mr. Hack’s 
Original intention was to have rounded the sourthernmost bay of 
e Gairdner and ascertained its entire outlines upon the east. 
He thinks there is reason to suspect some union between Lake 
> ee 
And shortly previous to this, one of the largest proprietors had 
