As none of our party had been recently accustomed to much pedestrian exercise, and we had been travelling for nearly five hours over a broken country, and in a temperature varying from 87 to 100 degrees in the shade, I thought it time to halt and dine.

While dinner was being prepared, Mr.Bynoe and myself shot three brace of rare ducks, of a small light grey kind, in the pools near.

I afterwards accompanied Mr.Forsyth to get some bearings from an elevation on the north side of the river.
COURSE OF THE VICTORIA.
Towards the south-east we perceived a very decided break in the hills, through which I hoped to trace the course of the Victoria, that being the direction of the centre of this vast continent: in this however we were disappointed, for the river turned short round to the north-east.

The banks were so high, and so thickly covered with tall reeds, that it was only by the very green appearance of the trees about its banks that its course could be made out.

The temperature at one P.M.in the sun was 127 degrees.