LAKE HAMILTON. 
187 
having a few stunted trees growing upon them, but 
otherwise destitute of vegetation. No water could 
be found, nor were there any watercourses from 
the hills, where we examined them. 
Keeping under the east side of the ranges for a 
few miles, we crossed the main ridge to the westward, 
and after a stage of about thirteen miles, halted 
under a high hill, which I named Mount Hope, in 
my former journey. In a gorge of the range where 
the granite cropped out among the limestone, we 
found a spring of beautiful water, and encamped for 
the day. Mr. Scott and one of the native boys 
shot several pigeons, which came to the spring to 
drink in the evening in great numbers. In the 
meantime I had ascended the hill for a view, and to 
take angles. At a bearing of W. S. W. I set Point 
Drummond only a few miles distant from the camp, 
and between it and a bearing of S. W. was a con- 
siderable salt water lagoon on the eastern side of the 
sand hills of the coast ; the surrounding country was 
low, level and scrubby. To the westward a great 
extent of dense scrub was visible, amid which were 
one or two elevations ; and a salt lake, at a bearing 
of S. 60° E. I made the latitude of this camp 
34° 7' 16'' S. and the variation of the compass 4° 10' E* 
October 28. — Travelling onwards for four miles, 
we passed a fine spring, situated in a swamp to our 
left, and at two more we came to a sheet of water, 
named Lake Hamilton,* a large and apparently 
* After my friend George Hamilton, Esq 
