Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/122

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

83

had overflowed its banks to a perpendicular height of thirty feet, making it of considerable width, it at present being about twenty-five yards. Bay horse very much jaded. N.B. The stream fell two feet and a half during the night.

Thursday, September 9th.—Started at day light. Course as before. Morning very windy, with occasional hard squalls of rain. Kangaroo and birds in abundance. Crossed one very steep and high hill. View from the summit of no very great extent, except to the southward, where a very high blue mountain, distance about twenty-five miles, was visible. Appearance of the country, the same as yesterday. Tracks of emu. Bay horse exceedingly weak. Both of them with sore backs. After a march of about fourteen miles, bivouaced near a swamp.

September 10th,—Started at day light. Course east. After travelling for two hours over an undulating country, came on an extensive flat of about four miles. Fine open forest. Native huts, eight in number, very substantially built. Surface, iron stone and sand. Country again as before, exceedingly mountainous. Bivouaced under high rock of granite stone. Travelled about fifteen miles.,

September 11th.-,Started at day light. After travelling for about four hours, over an exceedingly hilly country. Surface nothing but rock, heavy sand, iron stone, besides a thick brushwood. The bay horse was unable to proceed. Halted for two hours and a half, during which time I ascended the summit of a very high hill, in hopes of finding water. A fine dear rivulet to the N.E., with rich green banks, was visible about five miles distant, made it by sun-set. Excellent food for the horses; the only good spot since my departure. Intend