Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/243

 found a stream running to the S. There is likely to be water here all the year; in some places it is rather deep. Two miles distant we found another stream. There are hundreds and thousands of acres of land about this part entirely clear of wood, mostly sand, but not of the worst kind; there is a slight portion of vegetable earth among it. It is my opinion, if this land were in England instead of New Holland, there would be a crop of turnips upon the whole of it the next year. After taking dinner we walked four miles, across an open undulating country, very sandy, and bad in quality, but good to travel over; a gig might drive here for miles together without any considerable obstruction. We next found a tract of better land, with a fair quantity of wood. We encamped in a valley for the night, and had to dig holes in order to get water. In the course of the day we had, perhaps, the finest and longest kangaroo chase that has been seen in the colony: the kangaroos on these commons are amazingly swift, and it requires a good grey-hound to come up with them. Passed two native huts, superior in size and architecture to those we are accustomed to see. Oct.30th,—Set off at half-past 6 o'clock, walked a mile, and saw Mount Bakewell W. 3° S. There is a nice farm in the valley we have just crossed, perhaps 1000 or 2000 acres. This valley is surrounded on three sides by sandy commons. We walked over the one that lay in our course about one mile and a half in breadth, and got to the top of a hill; here we had a view of the country before us, which was of a different character from the one just passed over, being well clothed with wood. Upon exploring it we found it to be very ragged in some places, with some middling good land in the valleys. Towards evening we fell in with a forest of gum-trees, different from any known on the Swan and Canning Rivers; we named them cable or fluted gum, being considerably twisted, yet they are very tell and straight, and the bark of a green or olive colour. Our course lay through this forest; and after walking five miles we arrived at the foot of a mountain, very singular in appearance, and composed of solid granite. This huge rock we