The entirely open country through which the nearer river or branch continued to flow, and the lofty and remarkable trees on the banks of the other enabled me, in chaining along our route, to survey the course of both by fixing points on the more distant, and tracing the nearer. At length we approached a better-wooded country where clear green hills appeared to our right. I ascended the highest of these and discovered a vast plain beyond which appeared to be, or rather to have been, the bed of an extensive lake. I was now struck with the uncommon regularity of the curve described by the hill or ridge, having previously observed the same peculiarity in that which overlooked the lake of the savage tribe. We passed over some slight undulations covered with luxuriant grass, and were not sorry to see a wood of pines (or callitris) on our left. Large gumtrees (yarra) grew beyond and, the general course I wished to pursue leading towards them, I hoped to reach there an angle of the river. We found however that they hung over a small ana-branch only, in which the muddy flood-water of the river was then flowing. This stream was nevertheless exactly what we wanted, being safely accessible to our cattle, which the river itself was not. We therefore pitched our tents on a spot where there was excellent grass, and wood was again to be had in great abundance. We found in the adjacent scrub a remarkably rigid bush with stiff sickle-shaped blunt leaves and mealy balls of flowers not quite expanded;* also an acacia resembling A. hispidula, but the leaves were quite smooth and much smaller.** In approaching this spot we had passed along a low sandy ridge, every way resembling a beach but covered with pines and scrub. A bare grassy hill extended southward from each end of it; and the intervening hollow containing some water was evidently the bed of a lake, nearly dry. (*Footnote. It is found to be an acacia related to A. multinervia. A. farinosa, Lindley manuscripts; ramulis angulatis glabriusculis, phyllodiis rigidis carnosis incurvis linearibus apice latioribus mucronatis multinerviis glabris: margine superiore infra medium glanduloso, capitulis 2-4 axillaribus breviter pedunculatis farinosis.) (**Footnote. For description see 19th September.) June 23. The most eastern of these smooth bare ridges was immediately above our camp and, observing in it the regularity of curve which I had noticed in others, I was struck with the analogy, and in these ridges being always on the eastern shore of hollows or lakes, while the western was irregularly indented, and was in some parts so abrupt as to have the character of cliffs. The southern end of the ridges was generally the highest. WATER OF THE LAKES BRACKISH, OR SALT.