camped on what would seem the same creek as last night, near where
it enters the lagoon. The latter is of great extent and contains a
large quantity of water, which swarms with wild fowl of every
description. It is very shallow, but is surrounded by the most
pleasing woodland scenery, and everything in the vicinity looks
fresh and green. The creek near its junction with the lagoon
contains some good waterholes five to six feet deep. They are found
in a sandy alluvium which is very boggy when wet. There was a large
camp of not less than forty or fifty blacks near where we stopped.
They brought us presents of fish, for which we gave them some beads
and matches. These fish we found to be a most valuable addition to
our rations. They were of the same kind as we had found elsewhere,
but finer, being from nine to ten inches long, and two to three
inches deep, and in such good condition that they might have been
fried in their own fat. It is a remarkable fact, that these were
the first blacks who have offered us any fish since we reached
Cooper's Creek.

Friday, 21st December.--We left Camp 70 at half-past five A.M., and
tried to induce one or two of the blacks to go with us, but it was
of no use. Keeping our former course we were pulled up at three
miles by a fine lagoon, and then by the creek that flows into it;
the latter being full of water, we were obliged to trace it a mile
up before we could cross. I observed on its banks two wild plants
of the gourd or melon tribe, one much resembling a stunted
cucumber: the other, both in leaf and appearance of fruit, was very
similar to a small model of a water melon. [Footnote: Probably
Muckia micrantha.--F.M.] The latter plant I also found at Camp 68.
On tasting the pulp of the newly-found fruit, which was about the
size of a large pea, I found it to be so acrid that it was with