Page:Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia.djvu/95

 round to the N. and we lost sight of it. On our return we examined our provisions, and were greatly disappointed on doing so, to find that our friends Messrs. Clarkson, Hardy, and Cornfield had barely a supply left for two days, which entirely put an end to the hopes we had formed of penetrating a day's journey further into the interior; and as we estimated our distance from the sea coast to be 100 miles, we calculated that we should not be able to return in less than seven days to Perth, as we wished to take a southerly course for one day, in which direction his Excellency was desirous that the country should be explored. Having divided our provisions, we started at noon and steered a course varying from S. to S.E. for nearly three miles, over grassy elevations, the soil of which was a light sandy loam; at the termination of this distance, we found, on the summit of a hill, a red loamy soil, which seemed to extend to the southward and eastward; from this, we altered our course W.S.W. in the direction of a sheet of water we had remarked from Mount Stirling. Proceeding two miles through a thick wood, we ascended a rock, in the hope of gaining a sight of it, but not being able to discern it, we shortly afterwards encamped in a valley, in which we found an abundant supply of excellent water. We walked this afternoon six miles, and passed a native wigwam, which was much larger than those we had seen on the 30th instant.

November 1st.—Wishing to examine the valley for the purpose of ascertaining if any considerable body of water existed in the neighbourhood, we proceeded S.S.E. up it, when we ascended a hill, from which a high peaked hill, (of which several bearings had previously been taken) being observed, bearing S. 34° W., about thirteen miles distant,