Oct. 11.—­Last night we saw long flights of geese (Anseranas melanoleuca, Gould) and swarms of ducks, passing our camp from west to east; which made us very naturally suppose that large lagoons of fresh water existed at the head of the fern swamp, of which our little Typha brook formed the outlet.  Brown and Charley were very desirous of getting some of these geese, and concocted a plan either to induce me to follow the brook up, or to stop me altogether.  Not knowing their intentions, I sent Brown after the cattle, and Charley to find a crossing place.  They met, however, at those supposed lagoons, and amused themselves in shooting geese, and (after having probably enjoyed an off-hand dinner of roasted goose) they returned at 2 o’clock, complaining of course, that the cattle had strayed very far.  Though I had been very much annoyed by waiting so long, I was pleased in finding that they had shot four geese.  In order, however, to show my sable companions that their secret manoeuvres only tended to increase their own labour, I ordered the bullocks to be loaded immediately they arrived, and proceeded to get out of this intricate country as soon as possible.  We travelled west by north, over a tolerable open country, leaving the salt-water plains to the right, and crossed several well beaten foot-paths, and a sort of play ground on which the natives seem to have danced and crawled about, as it bore the impressions of both hands and feet.  After four miles, we came to a broad salt-water creek, the high banks of which were covered with numerous heaps of Cytherea shells, which had lived in the mud of the creek.  We followed it up about a mile, when it ended in a hollow coming from the range.  After passing this, our course was intercepted by another large creek, which compelled us to go to the south and even to south-east along the western side of the range which we had seen from Typha brook.  We followed it up about two miles, and found some ponds of slightly brackish water, in which, however, Nymphaea grew, and several small freshwater fish lived; and near them the track of a crocodile was observed by Charley.  Open country alternated with thick Acacia underwood along this creek, and its grass was still coarse and blady.  Many gullies came down from the range; which was composed of baked sandstone, with not very distinct stratification, and irregularly broken blocks.  At a lagoon which we passed in the commencement of the stage, Brown shot three more geese; thus disclosing to us the haunts of those numerous flights we had seen.  We roasted four of our geese for dinner, and they formed by far the most delicious dish our expedition had offered:  the others were stewed for the next breakfast; and they were equally good:  though a whole night’s stewing might have robbed them of a little of their rich flavour.

We had frequently observed the flight of waterfowl, at the commencement of night, and a little before dawn.  At Cycas Creek, Spoonbills, Ibises, and Whistling ducks came at night fall to the fresh water, and left it in the morning.  The geese flew past at night from an open lagoon to the westward, to more confined ponds at the head of the fern swamp to the eastward.  It would appear that they prefer a sheltered situation for the night, and large open sheets of water by day.