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for an area of about 2,000 acres, whilst far away to the north stretched gum forests and sand plains swarming with kangaroos. The party kept away on a course north 76° east over sand plains to a spring on the north side of a salt lake called Koombekine, 1,025 feet above the level of the sea. The country was so densely wooded beyond this that the cart was left in charge of some friendly Toodyay natives, and the party with pack-horses made a detour on a course north 94° east along sand hills, on the north side of some marshy thickets trending to the southward. Four miles from the side of a spring called Hejanding the shore of the Cow-Cow-ing Lake was reached. This depression was skirted by dense eucalyptus and acacia thickets, and as the bed was dry a course was steered across the south end. From the summit of a neighbouring hill was viewed an extensive sheet of water at the north-west end of the lake. On no account could the natives be induced to make a closer inspection, owing to the supposed existence of a large snake which swallowed several blackfellows whole some years previously.

Thus early on the journey the scarcity of water considerably hampered the movements of the explorers, who had to waste time sinking wells. The road to the northward being blocked by thickets and salt marshes, Mr. Austin turned due east from the lake, and travelled through seven miles of dense scrub and gum trees on bare loamy soil without a vestige of any grass, though the country had evidently not been burnt for many years. The surroundings of the Waddouring Hills consisted of isolated granite rocks, affording feed and water only at certain seasons. This was the country the settlers had been so anxious to avail themselves of, relying on the favourable interpretation that resulted from enquiries among the blacks, who formed a high opinion and gave glowing descriptions, of any place that afforded them a rat and a draught of water. There being no inducement to continue the journey to the east, a course was struck to the northeast from Gregory's track. On 11th August Mr. Woodward, who was instructed to accompany the party to Cow-cow-ing, left on the return journey with despatches.

After two days' hard travelling N.N.E., Mr. Austin's party came to a rocky table-land falling gently to the westward covered with shrub and bare patches of honeycombed sandstone, terminating abruptly to the eastward in a perpendicular escarpment 140 feet high. Through a vista in the thicket Mr. Kenneth Brown, a member of the party, caught a glimpse of an elevated range similar in appearance and contour to the Champion Bay country. The highest table-land was named Mount Kenneth after him, and, cheered by the prospect of better land, the explorers pushed bravely on. They went through dense thickets and descending country, destitute of water, in which all the bushes were dead or dying. On reaching and ascending the mount a commanding view was obtained. Over the whole landscape to the north and east were sandstone flat-topped ridges, trending north-east, presenting façades of white hue, capped by overhanging rocks of red colour, and clothed with acacia scrub. Here and there peaked white hills of stratified quartz rocks, inclining to the westward, and resting on greenstone, jutted out in association with several amorphous masses of brecchia composed of sienitic granite and felspar. A north-easterly course was maintained for several days through rough country with hardly any water.

The party camped on 20th August in 28° 43' 23" south, and 118° 38' east. During the night the horses strayed and eat a species of gastrolobium, with a small, bright orange coloured pea blossom like birdseyes. This plant, which is very poisonous, was growing about everywhere, and several horses became seriously affected and had to be bled. Eleven horses were so bad that they could not proceed, and Mr. Austin divided the party, leaving half with Mr. Whitfield and the sick horses, whilst he proceeded in search of better country. The weather was temporarily wet, and four more of the animals were soon down with the poison. Fifty miles to the north of the camp he came across fairly good country, which he named Recruit Flats, situated some thirteen miles from the foot of a range, the base of which was 1,569 feet above the level of the sea. The range presented several conical summits, grouped five or six miles on each side in the form of a crescent, facing north-east. Upon it he observed delicate layers of a crystalline substance resembling quartz. The rocks had great local magnetic attraction. Each piece of stone had two poles like the loadstone, powerfully attracting and repelling the same point of the magnetic needle. On this account one hill was christened by Mr. Austin "Mount Magnet." The country surrounding the mount, which was in latitude 27° 58' south and 118° 37' east, gave an unpromising prospect, and the leader determined to camp at Recruit Flats. On reaching the camp he found seven of the strongest horses dead, and five in a very precarious state. Under these circumstances it was necessary to leave 4 cwt. of the equipment behind. The horses were, however, too weak to travel far, and three light parties were sent out on a radius of fifteen miles, ranging from north-west to east, in search of grass. Green grass and water were discovered ten miles to the eastward in a thicket, and Mr. Whitfield was sent there with the horses to give them a chance to recover.

Mr. Austin, accompanied by a blackfellow named Narryer, proceeded in an E.N.E. direction reconnoitering. On reaching he foot of a hill the tracks of a native were seen, and a few yards further on, a scoop, or drinking cup, and two clubs. Narryer picked these up, and ascended the hill with Mr. Austin. Half way up the ascent was a quartz vein, and on Mr. Austin stooping to examine it he heard a native's voice. On jumping over a wall of quartz he and Narryer came face to face with a native who was stealthily approaching. Narryer spoke to him in the Irwin-Irwin language. The savage appeared to get into a terrible rage, and shaking his spear at the explorers, and calling out in an unknown language, he rushed at Narryer, who fired and shot him in the back. The gun was loaded with shot, and the man escaped. Water was discovered ten miles north, and on the following morning the party removed to it. Owing to poison and bad food there were only thirteen horses left, three of which were unable to carry more than their saddles. It was therefore decided to steer for the point in Sharks Bay where a vessel with supplies was to meet the party. For several days the men were almost without water. The horses were hardly able to move. The prospect was most dreary. Water was eventually found in a cave under a great quartz grit cliff, situatef in 27° 43' 13" south and 118° east. The joy derived from this discovery was minimised by a fearful accident to a member of the expedition named Charles Farmer, who accidentally shot himself. The unfortunate fellow, who was little more than a boy, had his right arm shattered by a gunshot wound. He was attended to as well as was possible under the circumstances, but lockjaw supervened, and he died a few days afterwards. A grave was selected under a beautiful wattle tree, where he was laid with his head resting on his saddle. Misfortunes followed quickly, and as the days passed horse after