Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/50

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21

A high peaked hill (Mount Roe) N.W. by W.

A double peaked hill (Mount Mitchell) N.W. by W.¾ W.

A high peaked hill (Mount Franklin) W. by N. westerly.

From the S.W. angle, group of islands, middle of the west and largest isle, S.W. by S. westerly; very high distant land W. southerly. Right extreme visible point of the sea W. by S. ½ S. supposed Cape Nuyts, S.W. ½ W; and greatly to my delight, just as the sun went down, assisted by refraction, a large expanse of interior water was observed close to the sea coast bearing S.W. ½ S. I supposed it near to Cape Chatham, perhaps to the westward. These observations being made, and the sublimely magnificent scene admired, until daylight departed, we descended the mountain and reached our encampment between nine and ten in the evening.

On Thursday morning we walked round the southern base of Mount Lindesay, and soon met another stream; wound round its eastern side, which, joining to that where we halted last night, found a stream of some magnitude, being about thirty feet wide and five deep, running directly south. This reach, however, extends only a few hundred yards, when it expands and runs rapidly over a granite rocky bed. The banks of this river (which was named the Denmark, in compliment to the physician of the Fleet, of that name) are rich, but, as readily may be imagined, from the abrupt nature of the country, they are very narrow. The surrounding hills, however, are of very fine soil, and may easily be turned to good account; the timber (principally blue gum) is the finest I ever saw. Having left this delightful scenery, we pro-