Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/301

 283 A depressing sensation of loneliness came strongly over me—a sort of "Oh! dear, what can the matter be?" feeling.

Tuesday.—The weather is only now beginning to become warm. There has been much more rain and cold this season than in any other since I came here. I remember that before I came here the favourite theory respecting the shape of this island was that it was edged round with a great border of high mountains, which threw and detained all the waters on the inner side, so that the whole was like a great basin or reservoir, having a large inland sea. This theory is completely contradicted by our knowledge of the shape of this side of the island at least. The interior, so far from being lower, is higher than the level of the land outside of this range. Several rivers—perhaps we might say all of any importance that we are as yet acquainted with—take their rise inside of the range, and force their way through it to the sea. Where the waters which must in winter be collected over the great surface of the interior, discharge themselves is yet to be accounted for. It has been almost demonstrated that there is no large river along the whole line of south coast from the Murrumbidgee to Cape Leeuin. The Blackwood, which is supposed to be the largest, scarcely deserves the name of a large river. The expedition which is now exploring will give us more information on that point. Coming northward from Cape Leeuin, the first river of any importance is the Murray. There are two estuaries to this river, one of which is 18 or 20 miles long. I dare say that the Hotham, which they are gone to settle upon, will turn out to be identical with the Murray, one of its tributaries, if not the main stream. The next river is the Swan, and after this there is none for about 50 or 60 miles, when you come to the river Garban, the natives hereabouts do not seem to be aware of any river, so there must be a long interval without one. The coast as far as Shark's Bay has been sailed along as near as consistent with safety, and no river has been seen. No reliance can be placed on