Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/212

 following the beach, I walked over the sand hills; part of those I found forming into a stone of a slate colour, cemented by what I could not tell; possibly an example of the undulated sand downs, mentioned by Cuvier, as observed by Peron on the coast of New South Wales; the new-formed rock waa soft, so as easily to be cut with an axe, and occasionally presented a superficial crust. Passing those curious caverns, which have procured the name of Turner's Chimney Pots, from the sombre-like manner in which the sea sends up its foam through them; first entering at an orifice on the beach, and then breaking out again through the chasm that the falling in of the earth and rock has made above in the bush, we searched the Turnerian stream at half past 9, where we shot a duck, upon which we dined; after we passed the conical hills, from the head of the creeks, I made a direct course for Augusta, and came out upon the river about a hundred yards above Mr. Turner's.

Rainy weather deluged me at Augusta, two or three days; but when all was fair, arriving at the head of the creek by water, I set out with the intention of following, as near as possible, the direction of the future road. I at first walked N.E.,, which course, however, seeming too much inclining easterly, and as the estuary was in sight, I changed first for N. by W., so as to clear creeks, swamps, &c.; afterwards for N., then again N. by E.; the land was at first sandy, and abounding in iron stone, where it all elevated itself above the general flat surface. We encountered here some native huts, one peculiarly large and well made, in the bottom of which was spread an oblong mat, of tea-tree bark, I should think nearly six feet long. The nature of the soil continued much the same, till we had passed