It was the first permanent fresh water we had found on the surface since we commenced our journey from Fowler's Bay--a distance of nearly seven hundred miles.

I would gladly have encamped here for the night, but the country surrounding the lake was sandy and barren, and destitute of grass.

We had only made good a distance of eleven miles from our last camp, and I felt anxious to get on to Lucky Bay as quickly as I could, in order that I might again give our horses a rest for a few days, which they now began to require.

From Captain Flinders' account of Lucky Bay I knew we should find fresh water and wood in abundance.

I hoped there would also be grass, and in this case I had made up my mind to remain a week or ten days, during which I intended to have killed the foal we had with us, now about nine months old, could we procure food in no other way.