Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/229

 half a mile, I came on the dry channel of some small stream, and following it, found a few muddy pools. On my return, however, I learnt that Edwards had discovered some close at hand, in a hole that had lately been occupied by the root of a grass tree—this amply supplied us; in fact, we afterwards found water in several places at the small depth of half a foot.

This night we were disturbed by a furious barking among our dogs, the cause, however, did not appear. The morning rose and seemed to threaten a regular wet day; at ll o'clock, however, much to our satisfaction, it seemed likely to hold up, and we proceeded: the first three quarters of a mile was over the same level country we had experienced the day before; we had a range of hills in our front, and were able to recognise the part of them over which our former course lay, some miles to the left. When we arrived at the foot of these hills, we came on a small stream, which I considered the same we had left on the right the day before. We passed two other streams not long after, flowing W.S.W.; at five minutes to one we halted and dined.

We began walking again through a sandy loam, and land hilly, rocky, and thickly wooded, and passed several small streams, all inclining to the west. We came upon one very large, and in it a basin, into which rapids fell, about fifteen yards across, very deep; we forded it at the rapids, but not dry footed; this stream, which rolls along more water than the Vasse, can never fail; the basin, at all events, would prove a greater acquisition to a line of road, which, at the end of the summer, haa been found so destitute of water. Until ten minutes past 5, we continued this march, and very miserable walking it was—frequent rain in heavy showers,