Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/85

 with rain for the horses to attempt to travel, we continued our course down the right bank of the brook, in a north and north easterly direction for two and a half miles, when we had the gratification of arriving at the considerable stream we noticed yesterday, running towards the N.W. It had evidently overflowed its banks, the apparent channel or bed of the river being about sixty yards: the water was discoloured and muddy, with a rapid current, and enclosed between banks moderately clothed with trees and shrubs.

August 9th.—Thermometer this morning at sunrise, 41°. We advanced this morning two miles up the river, but with considerable difficulty, owing to the soft and yielding nature of the soil in the neighbourhood of the river, caused apparently by excessive rain, and not by inundation. Being obliged to halt here the remainder of the day to refresh our horses, in the afternoon Mr. Brockman and myself proceeded two miles further up the stream, when we arrived at its junction with a brook from the S.S.W., which latter we traced upwards for half a mile, and then returned to our halting place.

August 10th.—Finding it impossible to make any further progress with our horses, which were completely exhausted from their unusual exertions, and having secured them, we left our tent pitched, considering them as a sufficient protection against the natives, none of whom we had as yet met with, and proceeded with two days' provisions to explore the left bank of the river towards its source, not deeming it prudent to be longer from our encampment than that time. Recommencing our journey, the middle course of which was S.S.E., we in six miles arrived at a remarkable range of hills, (which I propose naming the Dyott range, in compliment