August 1.—­We travelled about seven miles west by north.  Silver-leaved Ironbark ridges, of a dreary aspect, and covered with small shining brown iron pebbles, alternating with small plains and box-flats, extended generally to the northward.  Some of the hills were open at their summits, timbered with apple-gum, and covered with white ant-hills; their bases were surrounded with thickets of the Severn tree.  We encamped at a fine Nymphaea lagoon, in the rich shade of a white drooping gum tree.  A large but dry creek was near us to the westward.  The grass was excellent.

August 2.—­We travelled twelve miles west-north-west, over a fine box-flat, crossed a good sized creek, about five miles from the camp, and, to the westward of it, passed over seven miles of Ironbark ridges.  We descended from them into the valley of a creek fringed with the white-gum tree, and followed it down for about three miles before we found water.  We encamped at a good water-hole, at the foot of the ridges, in latitude 18 degrees 0 minutes 42 seconds.  Brown and Charley, who had gone two miles lower down, told me that they had found salt-water, and deposits of very fine salt.  Many lagoons were on the flats, surrounded by Polygonums, and frequented by ducks, spoonbills, and various aquatic birds.  They had shot, however, only one teal and a spoonbill.  In travelling down the creek, we frequently started wallabies.  Geophaps plumifera was very frequent on the Ironbark ridges.  A cormorant with white breast and belly, and the rose cockatoo were shot; the former tasted as well as a duck.  Brown collected a good quantity of the gum of Terminalia, and the seeds of the river bean, which made an excellent coffee.  The native bee was very abundant.

The natives seemed to have burned the grass systematically along every watercourse, and round every water-hole, in order to have them surrounded with young grass as soon as the rain sets in.  These burnings were not connected with camping places, where the fire is liable to spread from the fire-places, and would clear the neighbouring ground.  Long strips of lately burnt grass were frequently observed extending for many miles along the creeks.  The banks of small isolated water-holes in the forest, were equally attended to, although water had not been in either for a considerable time.  It is no doubt connected with a systematic management of their runs, to attract game to particular spots, in the same way that stockholders burn parts of theirs in proper seasons; at least those who are not influenced by the erroneous notion, that burning the grass injures the richness and density of the natural turf.  The natives, however, frequently burn the high and stiff grass, particularly along shady creeks, with the intention of driving the concealed game out of it; and we have frequently seen them watching anxiously, even for lizards, when other game was wanting.