July 24.—­We travelled about six miles north-west to latitude 17 degrees 48 minutes, and crossed several plains separated by belts of open forest, and came to a fine salt-water river; the banks were steep but not high, and stunted mangroves grew on the water’s edge:  the raspberry-jam tree covered the approaches to the river.  Salicornia and Binoe’s Trichinium grew round the dry ponds, and along the small water-courses, into which the tide flowed.  We found a good crossing place at a fishery of the natives; who—­to judge by the number of their tracks through the soft mud, and by the two large camps on both sides of the river, which were covered with fish-bones—­must be very numerous.  We continued our journey for about a mile and a half from the river, and came to some grassy fresh-water lagoons, although the Salicornias at first made me think they were brackish.

Shortly after starting this morning, we saw a brood of thirteen emus, on the plain which we were about to cross.  John, Charley, and the dog pursued them, and killed the old one; which, however, severely wounded poor Spring in the neck.  When we came up to them with the train, the twelve young ones had returned in search of their mother; upon which Brown gave chase with Spring, and killed two.  This was the greatest sport we ever had had on our journey.  Upon making our camp, we cut part of their meat into slices, and dried it on green hide ropes; the bones, heads, and necks were stewed:  formerly, we threw the heads, gizzards, and feet away, but necessity had taught us economy; and, upon trial, the feet of young emus was found to be as good and tender as cow-heel.  I collected some salt on the dry salt ponds, and added it to our stew; but my companions scarcely cared for it, and almost preferred the soup without it.  The addition, however, rendered the soup far more savoury, at least to my palate.

July 25.—­We travelled N. 60 degrees W. and, at two miles, reached a salt-water creek, which we crossed at a fishing place of the natives.  Soon afterwards we came on other shallow half dry salt-water creeks, the dry parts of which were covered with thick incrustations of salt, some of which we collected.  Our bullocks were very seriously bogged in crossing one of them.  After passing this intricate meshwork of boggy channels, we entered upon an immense plain, with patches of forest appearing here and there in the distance.  It was well grassed, but its sandy patches were covered with Salicornia.  This plant abounded particularly where the plain sloped into the system of salt-water creeks; the approaches of which were scattered over with the raspberry-jam tree.  A west-north-west and west course led me constantly to salt water; and we saw a large expanse of it in the distance, which Charley, to whose superior sight all deference was paid, considered to be the sea.  I passed some low stunted forest, in which a small tree was observed, with stiff pinnate leaves and a round fruit of the size of a small apple, with a rough