Page:History of West Australia.djvu/66

 48 an officer attached to H.M.S. Success upon her visit to Swan River. He was now on board the Sulphur, and with officers and men left that ship on 8th September, 1829, to cross the mountains to see what lay beyond. They sought to get their boats over the bar of the Swan, but were prevented by a heavy sea, and therefore went to Woodman's Point, where, after being thoroughly drenched, they landed baggage and provisions. The night was spent at Fremantle, and next day, while the men were sent to the Point for the impedimenta, Lieutenant Preston took boats and sailed up the river.

The Canning was reached towards evening, and on the second low point beyond Point Heathcote they rested for the night. In the trees above them paroquets and cockatoos chirped and called, the small shrubs redoled with "beautiful flowers," while the banksia, casuarina, and grass trees rustled to a north-west wind. It was a pleasant rural resort, but occasional showers spoilt all chance of comfort. Mr. Dale and Mr. Knight joined the party on that and the following day, and some soldiers from the settlement also accompanied the expedition. The progress up the Canning was slow on the 10th, because of the strength of the stream, but by several members walking the boat was able to make more headway. Mr. Dale, while traversing the right bank alone, came upon five natives, who greeted him in a friendly spirit. The boat was pulled to the spot, and Lieutenant Preston joined the little gathering. Presents were now exchanged, the whites contributing a swan, rings, knives, beads, &c., in return for spears, and a stone hatchet. Then they parted, and near by the explorers pitched their tents on an elevated bank. Little headway was made on the following day owing to the rapid stream. The weather was showery, and some time was spent among the natives. Difficulty was experienced in getting the boats up the shallow parts of the river and over the rapids, and on the 12th September twelve of the party left the rest and set out for the ranges. At nine o'clock the foot of them was reached, and a lateral valley was ascended, all following the little stream which bisected it. On either side quartz and granite rocks were observed, and when near noon they found "a beautiful small waterfall," they rested. There grew the cedar and stringy bark, the banksia and blue gum. Three quarters of an hour after resuming their journey the summit of the first range was attained, and was estimated to be 1,000 feet high. Ironstone was now mixed with the quartz and granite, and the vegetation was similar to that lower down. Several ridges of the mountains were explored, between which were marshy dales. Early in the afternoon they halted for the night. They rested amid this virgin scene, and the quietness was unbroken except for the yell of a native dog, the shout of a native, and the language of cockatoos and paroquets.

Other marshes and dales and ridges were crossed next day, and the rough travelling made the men very weary, and when a dense wood was entered they pitched their tents by a small stream. In the dales the soil was a mixture of siliceous sand and clay, and on the ridges large fragments of granite rock and ironstone lay strewn about, and immense trees reared their heads. The elevated parts were almost bare of vegetation. A kangaroo-rat was seen early on the 14th, which Mr. Gilbert, a member of the party, fired at. The report rang through the woods, and proved that those were favourite haunts of the aborigines, for cries of fear rent the air from women and children, and the pathfinders were astonished to see them "flying in every direction." A fire was found burning close by, where Preston placed feathers and handkerchiefs as peace-offerings. In a turn of the woods a little further on, a boy of about seven years old was seen hurrying away. So great was his fear that he let his spear fall to the ground, which, picking up, Preston stuck in the earth, so that he might get it again. From the apex of a very high ridge a wide view was obtained of higher ridges about thirty miles away, and there the party rested for awhile, appreciating the charm of the scene. A deep dale was now entered, in the centre of which was "a beautiful rivulet running over broken pieces of granite rock" to the N.N.W., whence rose a steep incline. The height of this ridge was reckoned to be about 1,800 feet, and standing on a small clear space, they commanded an extensive survey of the country to the east. Successive ridges rose before them, the furthest about 35 miles distant, which so discouraged their hopes of finding good agricultural land that they determined to retrace their steps. On every side these ridges cut the sky amid a grim silence, and there no farmer or pastoralist could expect to erect a homestead and ply his occupation. The provisions were too reduced to take them a long journey, and they went back over the hill, and four miles and a half away found three native huts. There they camped. Heavy rain set in, and continued all night long, so that all were wet, and some of the provisions were spoiled. The officers slept in the huts, but the rain penetrated even there. The only sound that was heard above the rain and wind at night was the howling of native dogs. Every Australian bushman knows how weird and dispiriting are their mournful cries when darkness enshrouds the unkempt woods.

On the return journey emus and kangaroos were seen, but their experiences were similar to those on the outward march, except that the weather continued wet. Fremantle was reached on the 19th September. Very few patches of good soil were inspected by this expedition, in comparison with the distance traversed, and little after results accrued from their efforts. Lieutenant Preston remarked that the ironstone so plentiful on the ranges possessed distinct magnetic polarity.

Another expedition left Perth a few weeks later to trace the Helena River. This was commanded by Ensign Dale, of the 63rd Regiment. Starting from the camp at Perth, on October 15, Dale crossed the river at the flats, or Heirrison Islands, as they now got to be called. Upon landing on the opposite bank he proceeded east by south, in order to pass through outside country. After penetrating some distance into the bush he altered his course to north-east, and crossed a large reedy swamp running with a small stream to the eastward. The soil on the banks contained a loam mixed with sand and was thickly covered with grass trees. Other brooks and streams were crossed during the day, in some parts of which the country was rich and verdant, but, taking the whole land between the Swan and the mountains, where they arrived in the afternoon, it was generally sandy, and thickly wooded with large trees. The next two days were spent in examining the surrounding country, and seeking the source of the Helena. Some of the hills contained good soil, while a few of the valleys seemed very fertile. On the 18th October Dale returned to Perth without having accomplished his object. Several little streams were crossed by the party, and the soil on the Helena was noted to be for the most part rich, and promised productivity under cultivation.

A great accession of population was secured in October. No fewer than nine ships reached the colony from England, New South Wales, and Van Dieman's Land, all heavily freighted with