Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/104

 appointment, found, instead of discovering anything more serviceable to the colony, nothing but a mere bay; it was only with great care I found water sufficient to navigate my little vessel, which drew no more than five feet. In passing inside the islands off Isla Point, I had the like shallowness of water to contend against; but as I approached the point, and saw water extending a long way to the north eastward of it, and land again north of that, I now firmly thought that something of importance and utility was within my reach,—a capacious and secure harbour, and large river, emptying its waters into it from the mountains, which a little north of this came down to the coast, were my too sanguine expectations. It is a large bay, and in the northern part and middle having depth of water for anchorage; but unless sheltered by reefs, which are at a long distance, or immediately under a small island, it is exposed to the N.W. winds, and not even a streamlet flows into it. I stood to the northward amid broken water, and very irregular soundings, from two and a half to six fauoms, till I reached two small islands in latitude 30°9', where, finding some shelter from a strong S. by W. sea-breeze, that now blew in squalls, I remained for the night. About nine miles along the coast to the northward of this, I saw, next morning, a large sheet of water over the sand hills of the beach, which I ascended, to trace its direction, and saw it extending nearly parallel with the coast, but could see no opening, either outwards or inwards, to it from the sea or the interior of the country. A continuaticm of this lagoon, in every probability, was visited, three or four miles further south, on my return, and found to be salt at the latter place, about a third