Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/219

 all along kept to the eastward more than I thought was right, wishing to cross over the same tracts that the last travellers had crossed; and because of the westerly direction of the water courses I determined to make a little westing, and with that intention, I began my march the next morning, N. by W. at first; for the numerous ravines I had seen the night before seemed to promise a large stream, or some assemblage of waters; nothing, however, appeared but small torrents, running generally N. and E. After advancing about a mile and a half from our bivouac, we descried some distant land through the trees, bearing N.N.E.; from this point I steered N.W.

As we advanced on our new course, we continued descending for some time, while the land appeared less and less rocky. We now entered an extensive plain, the soil of which was damp, and in some places was standing water. A ridge of hills was seen in our rear, extending east and west from the highest part of it, our course was now conducting us. The surface of this plain, composed of clay and sand, bore numerous impressions of the feet of the natives and kangaroos. At 12 o'clock we halted for dinner, on a remarkable water-course; the channel of which was generally dry, and seemed to wind very much, for we had already crossed it several times; though wide, was shallow, and its bottom consisted of bare flat rock; following it for some distance, we found water in pools, and in the pools, strange to say, small fish: here our dogs caught a kangaroo.

At about a mile from this bivouac we came the next day upon a small stream flowing N. by E.; this I followed about half a mile, in order to avoid a swamp that seemed to extend some distance on