72 
FRESH WATER LAKE. 
side, mackarel and baracoota being obtained every 
day. Other varieties might have been procured 
off the rocks near the shore, from which there were 
many places well adapted for fishing. Periwinkles 
abounded, and crabs were numerous among the 
crevices of the rocks. Altogether, this seemed to 
be a most favourable place ; and had we not met with 
the vessel, it would have held out to us the prospect 
of obtaining as abundant a supply of food for our- 
selves as we had got at Point Malcolm, without the 
necessity of destroying the poor foal. The night 
again set in very wild, cold, and wet. 
June 4. — This morning the weather appeared 
tolerably fine, and I landed with the French doctor 
for the purpose of walking across to Thistle Cove. 
After travelling four miles over a sandy heathy 
country, we arrived at the pretty little fresh water 
lake, so accurately described by Captain Flinders, 
and which I had so anxiously looked forward to 
attaining, that we might halt to rest, and recruit the 
horses. There is no timber around the lake, beyond 
a few xamias, grass trees, and some stunted tea-trees ; 
neither was there much grass. In other respects, I 
could not have pitched upon a more favourable place 
to have halted at : for near the lake abounded the 
flag reed, of which the root was so valuable for food. 
This one article would have supported us well during 
our stay here, whilst the many bluff rocks, with deep 
calm water close to them, extending all around the 
promontory which projected into the sea, and round 
