Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/83

 had a great difficulty in proceeding a mile E. from our bivouac, when our course was interrupted by the last mentioned stream flowing northerly; on penetrating a short distance down its course, with the expectation of crossing it, we were obliged to return to nearly where we had forded it last night, where, owing to the wet and hollow nature of the ground, we had to unload the horses before they could approach the margin: having carried the baggage across, we attempted to remove it to a hill opposite the ford, but our progress was again arrested by a broader stream flowing to the north, the channel of which was too deep to ford. Recrossing to our horses, we went a quarter of a mile below the junction of the two streams, and employed the remainder of the day in swimming our horses across, and getting the baggage over. To accomplish this, we adopted rather a hazardous plan, for, having selected a tree that was growing in the middle of the stream, we attached a long rope to it, by one of its branches, and Mr. Brockman and myself having previously crossed to the opposite side, drew the different packages over as they were secured at the opposite extremity of the rope. The valley through which this stream flows is of some breadth; the soil being occasionally of a loamy description, and affording pasture for sheep.

August 6th.—Leaving this latter stream flowing northerly, we advanced in a due E. course for eight miles, over a succession of barren, uninteresting ridges, separated from each other at various distances by small grassy valleys, and clothed principally with low stunted shrubs, and a gum tree, the bark of which was white. We then descended into a rich and picturesque valley, of inconsiderable breadth; the luxuriant verdure of the grass, and its