Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/113

 six or eight feet in depth. The country here is tolerably level forest land, free from underwood, and undulates gently in easy rising hills, somewhat thickly wooded. Three miles S.W. from this part of the Preston, over rather a sandy country, brought us to the verge of some level open plains, covered with grass, and thinly scattered with trees; their extent was not ascertained, but we could trace them as far as five or six miles across, and in the middle came upon the dry bed of a considerable brook, winding through them to the N.W. by N. The day being now far advanced, and having met with no water since leaving the Preston, we traced this channel for about two miles, through a narrow slip of thickly wooded land, but without meeting the object of our search. Some heavy dense clouds, which had by that time been drifted over us by a N.W. gale, then burst out into pouring rain, and drove us for shelter into the bed of the water course. After two hours' rain the weather cleared a little, and the continued perseverance of some of our party, was finally crowned with success, by kindling us a good fire, which dried our clothes and blankets, and enabled us to pass a comfortable night. With day-light of the 11th we started on our return, and steered north to fall in with the Preston, and procure water for breakfast In this direction and N.W., we walked nearly six miles over a gently swelling forest country, with a loamy sandy surface, which, for the last three miles, was frequently interrupted by extensive swamps, at this time dry. The Preston was then fallen in with at the distance of about seven miles, in a direct line from its entrance, and we remained a couple of hours, on the bank of some delicious water, to breakfast and refresh. At this dry period of the