Page:History of West Australia.djvu/79

 Rh where they might till the soil. The wealth of the colony was augmented, and all were impressed with the importance of Dale's exploration. The chief speculation and interest was concentrated on the new river, which in itself indicated great possibilities in what was then called the interior. Lieutenant-Adjutant Erskine, of the 63rd Regiment, left Perth on the 6th September to obtain wider information of the eastern country. On the 7th he crossed the first tier of hills S.E. of Perth, where the ascent and descent were sudden, the surface rocky and thinly wooded. Beyond this he camped by a clear mountain stream. After traversing eighteen miles on the next day, over successive ridges and three mountain streams, one of which was so strong and deep that the horses had to swim across, he again rested for the night. Large flocks of birds and droves of kangaroos were seen during the following day's march, and rough ironstone ridges and one particularly high hill had to be surmounted. So severe was the path that one horse became jaded, and another's back was rubbed into sores. The country during the next few days was hilly and rough, and on the 12th Erskine rested his wearied horses all day long, and passed his time in walking among the trees to the southward, along the course of a stream. There he saw some excellent soil. The Avon was reached on the 13th September, and to his agreeable surprise Lieutenant Erskine found a number of natives fishing in the stream. Some days were passed in examining the country along the river's course, and the explorers were loud in their praise of its fertility. The natives were very numerous, and became more friendly than Erskine wished. He began his home journey on the 17th, and reached Perth on September 22, bearing bright news of goodly country, rich pasturage, and abundant game.

Early in October Lieutenant-Governor Stirling determined to personally visit these fine lands in order the better to decide upon the apportioning of grants and to supply information to his people. He was accompanied by several settlers, and was led thither by Mr. Dale. The party took with them the best horses they could obtain at Swan River, and made the journey rather more rapidly than did Dale on his first trip. He was able to guide them by a nearer and easier route. Captain Stirling inspected the rich valleys which skirted the Avon waters, and was charmed with the abundance of pasturage then existing on every side. He was not able to trace the source and mouth of the river, but went into the country round about to prove the extent of pastoral and agricultural land. On this occasion the country was rendered beautiful by the profusion of flowers which the spring had brought to perfection. The brightest blue, white, orange, and red blossoms relieved the deep green of the sward, and lent an idyllic air to the sylvan scene. The vistas in the woods appeared as gardens containing the choicest painted blooms, the climbers and shrubs were bedecked, and in pursuing their way the explorers bruised these delightful flowers beneath their own and their horses' feet.

While the Lieutenant-Governor hurried back to Perth to declare the country open to selection, Ensign Dale and a party of six volunteers, including Messrs. Clarkson, Hardy, Camfield, and W. Stirling, and five horses to carry baggage and ten days' provisions, left him to explore east as far as circumstances would permit, and to examine more of the Avon country. 0n the 28th October they separated from the returning band and passed along the northern base of the Dyott Range for a mile and a half, and when nearing the Avon observed excellent loamy soil. Crossing this quiet stream they proceeded south half east, and emerged into undulating country decked with the bright yellow-flowered wattle, and lightly timbered with gum and sandalwood trees. The soil was a good red loam, and this eastern side of the Avon appeared much richer than the western. They continued along the river's banks for nearly three miles, when they scaled a ridge which bounded a change in the aspect of the country; for beyond were "large open downs, or wolds," extending several miles north and south, and covered with sandy soil and short brushwood. Pushing on they again entered wooded country, and in the evening rested by a stream about eleven miles east of Mt. Bakewell. Most of the country passed over was rich and promising land, decked with flowers, and although it was diversified by useless patches, all agreed that it had the appearance of an English demesne. Next morning they traversed grassy undulating plains, bounded on the right by an apparently fertile valley, rising to low hills, upon which the trees were grouped as in a plantation. After this came an unusually sandy stretch of some four miles in extent, when they plunged into a thickly wooded area, amid which they found a stream flowing northwards. Quitting the woods they at once entered open downs running for many miles north and south and about two miles wide. Just here a kangaroo, which seemed a necessary concomitant of these scenes, was sighted, and all made chase in the wake of a greyhound. The marsupial was in his own domain, and the hunters knew not the country. Their chase was fruitless. They went fifteen miles to the eastward that day, through land tolerably well adapted for pasture. After journeying another fifteen miles on the 30th October over sandy billowy commons stretching north and south, which led to open broken country exhibiting expanses of woodland scenery, they entered the gloom of a dense forest of gum trees and brushwood. Difficulty was experienced in penetrating this. Five miles were covered before they reached a ti-tree and samphire swamp containing brackish water. At its eastern extremity were two remarkable isolated hills, which they sighted earlier in the day, and which they desired to examine. To the northern one Dale gave the name of Mount Caroline, and to the southern Mount Stirling, after a member of the party, Mr. W. Stirling. Each hill was composed of a mass of granite. Near them they camped.

At sunrise next morning all climbed Mount Stirling on hands and knees to obtain a bird's-eye view of the country. Low ranges of hills lay about thirty miles to the south-east, on the western side of which was a broad valley, surmounted by a bluish vapour. Several round hills rose in the same direction, while marshes of water were observed in other directions. Their provisions were now nearly exhausted, but rather than miss the opportunity of exploring the southern country they set off, first south to south-east, then west-south-west. On November 1 they found extensive downs and deep woods. On one of the downs were pools of water, showing traces that the natives had but lately been there. Numerous herds of kangaroos bounded away from them. One animal was killed and welcomed as an addition to their deplenished food-supply. A superior description of country was sighted about twenty miles south-south-west from Mount Stirling; fine grasses, wattles, gum, and sandalwood thriving on a red loam. Native fires were observed in this district.

The party began their return journey on 2nd November, and some of the more timid prepared their arms in case of encounters with natives, who seemed numerous in that productive country. They proceeded in a west by north direction for eighteen miles, through dense woodlands, by two salt water lagoons, and over grassy hills, which appeared to contain better