46 JOURNEY OF DISOOVEKY INTO 



by a well-grassed valley, witli beautiful ligbtly wooded hills or slopes 

 on either hand, and then reached the main river, slightly brackish, in a 

 granite rocky bed, and scarcely running to the S.E. Grasses of the 

 best description filled its valley, and extended up the sides and over 

 the tops of the gently rising hills on each side, which, as well as the 

 valleys, were lightly wooded with yeit, casuarinas, and black wattles. 

 Finding from Bob that this stream flowed S.E. to the sea, near Middle 

 Mount Barren, I left the lower part of it for future examination, and 

 traced upwards to the N.W. by N., amongst rich grass and soil for 

 three miles, when, finding the grassy breadth decrease, and the river 

 coming from N.N.W,, I proceeded up a running branch in a N.N.E. 

 direction, and near the junction observed the latitude at noon to be 

 33^ 54' 53'' S., samphire and rushes filling the bed of the stream, and 

 indicating a w^ant of permanency in the good water. This being Sun- 

 day, we encamped at one o'clock for the remainder of the day, well 

 satisfied at having seen between 12 and 15,000 acres of excellent graz- 

 ing country during the late seven miles and a half of our journey, with 

 a prospect of its being much more extensive, especially downwards. 

 Our native, who had crossed this river near its mouth, reports the land 

 there to be good, which leaves room for a just inference that the inter- 

 vening space of 35 or 40 miles may be good also. 



On the 33rd I followed this branch upwards to the E.N.E. for four 

 miles further, where the grass and water had gradually diminished so 

 as to render its further examination of little importance, and I again 

 steered north-eastward, a cloudy observation at noon giving the lati- 

 tude about 33° 53i' S., and a high hill about Mount Barren bearing 

 N- 104^ E., 45 or 50 miles distant. The country as we proceeded 

 ■was poor and scrubby, with some exceptions ; and we encamped late, 

 on a chain of salt and brackish pools, dipping eastward in a country 

 almost level. 



Following these pools down next day, they soon joined a continuous 

 river of brackish water, between banks of granite or sand 20 to 30 yards 

 apart, coming from theN.N.W., and flowing eastward and S.E. through 

 open scrubby plains, joining the river which we had seen on the 22nd 

 many miles lower down, according to the information of our native. 

 The weather, which had been very threatening during the morning, 

 drove us to au encampment earlier than usual, for after two hours' 

 rain the country was scarcely passable for the horses. 



Almost continuous rain from the S.E, fell durinc: the remainder of 



