Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/260

Rh though in the neighbourhood of the numberless lagoons which are scattered very thickly over the face of the country, you may find excellent soil. Over the hills, however, the scene changes; there is, as may be seen in the chart of the colony, a chain of hills running north and south, parallel with the coast; they are not worthy of the name of mountains, as I should think none in this neighbourhood exceeds 4 or 500 feet in height. From the foot of the hills, about twenty miles from the coast, you commence an up and down journey, which extends to the distance of forty-eight miles, when you reach York, our ultra mountain settlement: there are, I believe, three ranges of hills before you reach the level country, but these offer but few obstacles to the traveller; indeed, though they have never levelled a road, but merely cut down the trees and brushwood in the line a cart can go over very well: the land when you reach it is really good, and moreover uniformly so thinly wooded, and well adapted for either grazing or tillage. Messrs. Trimmers have now a flock of 500 sheep there, all thriving uncommonly well.

At present there are only two or three settlers over there, as the transportation of provisions makes settling there very expensive at present. On the whole, I think there is not a doubt of the ultimate success of this colony, provided we have a government who obey the dictates of reason,—the country will produce anything; the only drawback, perhaps, in the eyes of an inhabitant of our cold, foggy, yet dear little island, would be the heat of the climate. The following calculation will show the amount that will be sufficient to commence as an agriculturist: