APPENDIX NO. II. 
265 
ed 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 meet- 
ing 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° 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 ; be- 
tween which and the river the land also declined. I he 
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 hum- 
mocks was a-head, 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 com- 
pass. A meridian altitude observed here, placed us in 
35° 25' 15" S. lat. — At 1, I changed our course a little 
to the westward, and at 4 p. m. entered an arm of the lake 
leading W. S. W. On the point, at the entrance, some 
natives had assembled, but I could not communicate with 
them. They were both painted and armed, and evidently 
intended to resist our landing. Wishing, however, to gain 
some information from them, I proceeded a short distance 
