Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/39

 N.N.W. and then pursued our route over continued ridges until half past 2, when we crossed a marsh with a small stream running to the southward, and rested for the night in a close wooded country, without any appearance of an opening. Men very tired; the surface was a mixture of siliceous sand and clay in the dales, having large fragments of granite rock and iron stone thickly scattered upon the ridges, in many places almost entirely bare of low vegetation; the same trees, generally of immense size, the largest hollowed out at the root by fires. Course E. ½ S. distance eighteen miles; wind N.N.W. with squalls.

September 14th.—Started at 8; occupied till a quarter past 9 in crossing a marsh; saw a kangaroo rat, which Mr. Gilbert having fired at, we heard the cry of several native women and children, occasioned most likely by the report; saw them flying in every direction from us, but did not attempt to follow them; saw the smoke from a fire they had just lighted; left some feathers, handkerchiefs, &c.; after proceeding about a quarter of a mile, saw a native boy about seven years of age running before us, whom we might have taken, but did not interfere with him; he, however, from fright dropped a spear, which I picked up and stuck in the ground; noon, ascended a very high ridge, and for the first time got a view of higher ridges, bearing from N. by E. to S.E. by E. distant about thirty miles; rested a quarter of an hour and then proceeded down a very deep dale, with a beautiful rivulet running over broken pieces of granite rock to the N.N.W.; continued our course up a very great ascent. Half past 1, passed a swamp with a small stream running southward; at half past 2, halted and climbed a high tree for the purpose of obtaining a view; saw an opening to the eastward, walked on to it with the