Port Lincoln.'] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 145 
anchored in 4 fathoms, soft bottom, one mile from the beach at lH09 - 
Februarys 
the furthest head of the port, and something less from the southern Friday 26, 
shore. 
Fresh water being at this time the most pressing of our wants, 
I set off' the same afternoon, with a party, to examine the lake or 
mere discovered, from Stamford Hill. The way to it was over low 
land covered with loose pieces of calcareous rock ; the soil was 
moist in some places, and, though generally barren, was overspread 
with grass and shrubs, interspersed with a few clumps of small 
trees. After walking two miles we reached the lake, but to our 
mortification, the water was brackish, and not drinkable : the dis- 
tance, besides, from Port Lincoln was too great to roll casks over a 
stony road. This piece of water was named Sleaford Mere. It is one 
mile broad, and appeared to be three or four in length. The shore 
was a whitish, hardened clay, covered at this time with a thin crust, 
in which salt was a component part. The sun being too near the 
horizon to admit of going round the mere, our way was bent towards 
the ship; and finding a moist place within a hundred yards of the head 
of the port, I caused a hole to be dug there. A stratum of whitish 
clay was found at three feet below the surface, and on penetrating 
this, water drained in, which was perfectly sweet, though discoloured ; 
and we had the satisfaction to return on board with the certainty of 
being able to procure water, although it would probably require 
some time to fill all our empty casks. 
Early in the morning a party of men was sent with spades to Saturday 27. 
dig pits ; and the time keepers and astronomical instruments, with 
two tents, followed under the charge of Mr. Flinders. I went to 
attend the digging, leaving orders with Mr. Fowler to moor the ship 
and send on shore empty casks. The water flowed in pretty freely, 
and though of a whitish colour, and at first somewhat thick, it was 
well tasted. Before the evening, the observations for the rates of 
the time keepers were commenced ; and the gunner was installed in 
the command of a watering party, and furnished with axes to cut 
