Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/53

 again and receives other rivers, I was on my way to decide the matter, but reflecting that the utmost limit of my time was expired, that our provisions were expended, and that I had no instruments to make any useful observations, I was obliged, though reluctantly, to give up the attempt. The rise and fall of the tide is considerable; during our stay here it receded upwards of 6 inches. We resumed our journey about 2 pm., proceeding east through a country slightly undulating for two or three miles, when we reached a plain of great extent, bounded on the N. and S. by well wooded hills, occasionally watered by small streams, and intersected by narrow slips of finely timbered forest land. In the evening we bivouaced near a swampy flat. The land we passed over to-day was for the most part composed of charcoal, and other vegetable matter, varying in depth from four to twelve inches, under which was sand about six inches deep, and then a fine blue clay, and this is the general character of all the flat land we passed over to the eastward of Mount Lindesay. Saturday, at daylight, we left our bivouac, and proceeded on our way home. About 7 o'clock, arriving at an inlet of some extent, we bent our course a little to the south, came to the sea beach and walked across the sand, which was several feet above the level of the sea and inlet. Here the following bearings were taken: West Cape Howe S.S.W. and island south; Eclipse Island S.E. by S.; another island S. by E.; centre and direction of the inlet N.E. by N. ½ N.

We now crossed over the range of sand hills (some parts of which showed the same stalactitic appearances as the hills about Swan River). The lagoon was perceived to be of crescentic form,