The picturesque scenery which had, up to this point, adorned the shores of Lake Victoria ceased at two miles, when we suddenly and at once found ourselves travelling on sand, at the same time amidst reeds.  The rich soil disappeared, the trees becoming stunted and low.  As the travelling was also bad, we went along the margin of the lake, where the sand was firm, although marked with ripples like those left on the sea-shore by the tide, between the water and a line of rubbish and weeds inside of us, so that it appeared the lake had not yet risen so high as the former year.  We had moved round to its eastern side, which being its lea side also, the accumulation of rubbish and sand was easily accounted for.  We traversed about eight miles of as dreary a shore as can be imagined, backed, like Lake Bonney, by bare sand hills and barren flats, and encamped, after a journey of thirteen miles, on a small plain, separated from the lake by a low continuous sand ridge, on which the oat-grass was most luxuriant.  The indications of the barometer did not deceive us, for soon after we started it began to rain, and did not cease for the rest of the day, the wind being in the N.E. quarter.

It continued showery all night, nor on the morning of the 16th was there any appearance of a favourable change.  At nine a steady and heavy rain setting in we remained stationary.

The floods in the Rufus had obliged us to make a complete circuit of the lake, so that we had now approached that little stream to within six miles from the eastward.  Our friend Nadbuck, therefore, thinking that we were about to leave the neighbourhood, rejoined the party.  With him about eighty natives came to see us, and encamped close to our tents; forty-five men, sixteen women, and twenty-six children.  I sent some of the former out to hunt, but they were not successful.

Amongst the natives there were two strangers from Laidley’s Ponds, the place to which we were bound.  The one was on his way to Moorundi, the other on his return home.  Pulcanti had given us a glowing account of Laidley’s Ponds, and had assured us that we should not only find water, but plenty of grass beyond the hills to the N.W. of that place.  This account the strangers confirmed; and the one who was on his way home expressing a wish to join us, I permitted him to do so; in the hope that, what with him and old Nadbuck, we should be the less likely to have any rupture with the Darling natives, who were looked upon by us with some suspicion.  I was, in truth, very glad to take a native of Williorara up with me, because I entertained great doubts as to the reception we should meet with from the tribe, on our arrival there, in consequence of the unhappy occurrence that took place between them and Sir Thomas Mitchell, during a former expedition; and I hoped also to glean from this native some information as to the distant interior.  Both the Darling natives were fine specimens of their race.  One in particular, Toonda, was a good-looking fellow, with sinews as tough as a rope.  It also appeared to me that they had a darker shade of colour than the natives of the Murray.