Mr. Browne saw a great many red kangaroos (foxy), some very young, others
very large; and he chased a jerboa, which escaped him. He also saw a new
bird with a black crest, about the size of a thrush.
The morning of the 14th had been cloudy, but the day was beautifully
fine; so that we had really enjoyed our march, if so it might be called.
From our tents there was a green and grassy slope to the shore of the
lake, with a group of two or three immense trees, at distances of several
hundred yards apart, and the tranquil waters lay backed by low blue
hills.
On the morning of the 15th the barometer fell to 27.672, the thermometer
standing at 56 degrees, at 8 a.m. The air was heavy, the sky dull, and
the flies exceedingly troublesome. All these indications of an
approaching change in the weather might have determined me to remain
stationary, but I was anxious to push on. I therefore directed Mr. Poole
to complete the survey of the lake, and at eleven moved the whole party
forward.
The picturesque scenery which had, up to this point, adorned the shores
of Lake Victoria ceased at two miles, when we suddenly and at once found
ourselves travelling on sand, at the same time amidst reeds. The rich
soil disappeared, the trees becoming stunted and low. As the travelling
was also bad, we went along the margin of the lake, where the sand was
firm, although marked with ripples like those left on the sea-shore by
the tide, between the water and a line of rubbish and weeds inside of us,
so that it appeared the lake had not yet risen so high as the former
year.
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