Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/214

 home, judging firom the creek I had just passed; we halted, made a fire, and a screen from the wind, of the branches of the beef-wood or the oak, for the country had, for some miles, abounded with that valuable timber, which I understand is a remarkable thing; neither the soldiers nor I had ever seen so much of it before: the trees were, many of them, large and fine, many much injured by fire; they afford the lightest wood, and the only bark that can be applied to the purposes of the tanner. These particulars concerning this tree, I learned through the medium of the sawyers, who, in my absence, had visited my grant, on their way to Swan River, and had expressed their satisfaction at seeing it so abundant on the banks, relating to my brothers, at the same time, its various uses.

In the morning, after a walk of three quarters of an hour, due north, having first made westing enough to clear the windings, we came again on the river, and saw on the opposite bank my house, most unexpectedly. The distance, I think, in a direct line, would be about ten or eleven miles from Augusta, N.½ E., or N. by E., the most direct course to that part of the river which extends most west, near about my brother's house. Nothing could be freer from obstructions, with regard to declivities, water courses, and swamps, than the path by which we came; a bridge, rather more artificial than those on the Augusta roads, would be required over the largest stream we crossed, though a more northerly direction would most probably render even that unnecessary.