roof, which would keep out any wet.  At one side of these constructions, the remains of a large fire were observed, with many mussel-shells scattered about.  All along the Lynd we had found the gunyas of the natives made of large sheets of stringy-bark, not however supported by forked poles, but bent, and both ends of the sheet stuck into the ground; Mr. Gilbert thought the two-storied gunyas were burial places; but we met with them so frequently afterwards, during our journey round the gulf, and it was frequently so evident that they had been recently inhabited, that no doubt remained of their being habitations of the living, and constructed to avoid sleeping on the ground during the wet season.

June 15.—­We travelled about nine miles and a half down the river, over a country like that of yesterday, the tree vegetation was, however, more scanty, the forest still more open, the groves of Acacia larger.  Brown returned with two sheldrakes (Tadorna Raja), four black ducks (Anas Novae Hollandiae), four teals (Querquedula castanea); and brought the good news that the Lynd joined a river coming from the south-east, with a rapid stream to the westward.

June 16.—­We left the Lynd, along which we had journeyed from lat. 17 degrees 58 minutes to lat. 16 degrees 30 minutes, and travelled about twelve miles W.N.W., when we encamped at the west side of a very long lagoon Though I did not see the junction of the two rivers myself, Mr. Roper, Brown, and Charley, informed me, that the Lynd became very narrow, and its banks well confined, before joining the new river; which I took the liberty of naming after Sir Thomas Mitchell, the talented Surveyor-General of New South Wales; they also stated that the Lynd was well filled by a fine sheet of water.  The bed of the Mitchell was very broad, sandy, and quite bare of vegetation; showing the more frequent recurrence of floods.  A small stream meandered through the sheet of sand, and from time to time expanded into large water-holes:  the river was also much more tortuous in its course than the Lynd, which for long distances generally kept the same course.  The Mitchell came from the eastward, and took its course to the west-north-west.  At the sudden bends of the river, the bergue was interrupted by gullies, and occasionally by deep creeks, which seemed, however, only to have a short course, and to be the outlets of the waters collecting on the flats and stiff plains at some distance from the river.  The bergue was covered with fine bloodwood trees, stringy-bark and box.  At a greater distance from the river, the trees became scanty and scattered, and, still farther, small plains extended, clothed but sparingly with a wiry grass.  These plains were bounded by an open forest of the Acacia of Expedition Range.  This little tree gave us a good supply of a light amber-coloured wholesome gum, which we sometimes ate in its natural state, or after it had been dissolved by boiling.  Towards the end of the day’s