At one place a large party of natives appeared to have lived for some time, twelve bark beds having been left in a circle round a fire.

In this respect they differ in custom from the natives of the southern parts of Australia, who generally sleep all of a heap, or, at least, four or five persons together, whereas each individual here appeared to occupy his own little bark bed.

In the course of the morning's march we had passed a very neat native oven, or fireplace, much more carefully constructed than anything of the kind I have since seen; it consisted of a hole sunk eight inches deep in the earth, which was quite circular, three feet in diameter, and very neatly paved and lined with flat stones; the last article cooked here had been a large quantity of turtles' eggs, the remnants of which were lying scattered all around.

This is a dish by no means to be despised; and the discovery was rather interesting to me as it proved that turtle came so far up the river.

It rained hard during the greater part of the day.
March 12.
As we were preparing to start this morning one of the ponies was found to be so knocked up as to be unable to proceed; I therefore abandoned it, though, I fear, in a state too far gone to recover; but if perfect rest and abundance of good feed and water could effect a restoration it had still a fair chance.
DIFFICULTIES OF THE ROUTE.
A ford over the stream had yesterday been found between the Glenelg and our encampment, which we now succeeded in getting the ponies over, and, in order to avoid another stream, which had been seen to the eastward, we turned north-east, but in about three miles were again at fault, on the banks of a deep brook.