Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/184

 LETTERS FROM MR. DALE, giving a summary description of the Country passed over in going to Mount Bakewell, and, also, in an Expedition to examine the Country to the North and South of that Place.

Mount Bakewell, September 19th, 1831.

Sir,

leave to report to you, for the information of his Excellency, the arrival at Mount Bakewell of the expedition which he was pleased to honor me with the conducting of across the Darling Mountains.

In crossing the range, our progress at first was more slow than was anticipated, in consequence of the heavy rains which for the first three or four days retarded our movements; but the weather having since become favourable, we were able to travel more expeditiously, and the party arrived here on the morning of the 16th, (the 11th day after our departure from Guildford) in good health and spirits.

From the nature of the country, I was induced to alter in a slight degree the line of direction which it was first proposed to follow, and it was satisfactory to find that the course pursued brought us directly to Mount Bakewell, the distance of which was found by the measurement to be forty-two miles from Green Mount, which nearly agrees with what I had previously estimated it at. It is considered that the line which I have now marked out, is favourable for a road, it having passed through several fertile valleys where there was an abundant supply of water, and over considerable tracts of level ground; the only serious obstacle