Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/75

 rushes, and swampy. A few hundred yards farther on, along the beach, to the south, there is another similar opening, which, after a narrow channel of good depth, that is bounded on the left by a cliff of calcareous sandstone, and split by an island, becomes so shallow, that our boat could with difficulty be dragged over; it then expands into a considerable sheet of water, the circuit of which we did not complete; but it appeared to be generally very shallow, and on its banks, salt marshes, or a low black clayey, and, at present, dry soil, extended some distance, especially between it and the beach. Inland of this recent formation, a similar, but little more elevated surface, still showing that it had been lately flooded, producing grass and other herbs, without any trees or shrubs, for many acres. Port Leschenault having offered the best prospects of land in its vicinity, and the greatest extent of harbour, which we had every reason to suppose extended many miles in the form of a lagoon, to the northward, behind the sand hills; and Geographe Bay having been formerly surveyed, we had every inducement to return as soon as possible to Port Leschenault; we therefore left Port Vasse at 1 p.m. expecting to have a favourable sea breeze to carry us back before dark; in this we were disappointed, and had to pull the whole way. We got into Port Leschenault at forty minutes past 8 p.m., having passed between the point and the outermost breakers seen in the morning, but which were much less in the evening. We had seen smoke in many places a short way beyond, and even close to the beach, between Port Vasse and Port Leschenault, as well as beyond the former in Geographe Bay; and we saw and heard the natives shouting on the beach.