These pretty little pigeons had been first observed by Brown in the course of our yesterday's stage, who shot two of them, but they were too much mutilated to make good specimens.

We frequently saw them afterwards, but never more than two, four, or six together, running with great rapidity and with elevated crest over the ground, and preferring the shady rocks along the sandy bed of the river.

I tried several methods to render the potatoes, which we had found in the camps of the natives, eatable; but neither roasting nor boiling destroyed their sickening bitterness.

At last, I pounded and washed them, and procured their starch, which was entirely tasteless, but thickened rapidly in hot water, like arrow-root; and was very agreeable to eat, wanting only the addition of sugar to make it delicious; at least so we fancied.
June 8 .-- We travelled about nine miles west-north-west.

The country was in general open, with soft ground on the more extensive flats; although sandstone ranges approached the river in many places.