150 .THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA" 



and in less ttan three miles the narrow rocky bed was composed en- 

 tirely of granite or gneiss, and the water in it was still brackish. The 

 soil is a light sandy loam. The day being warm and oppressive, with 



a land-wind from the N.W,, and the thermometer at 104^ in the cool- 

 est spot I could find, I took advantage of fresh water being obtainable 

 in the tributaries and swamps of this vicinity, and halted until three 

 o'clock amongst good grass in a clump of Yeit-trees. As we had ex- 

 pected, a thunder-storm began to brew in the N.W., and it came on so 

 rapidly, that before we could secure ourselves in another camping-place 

 which we had taken up for the night, it burst with great violence and 

 completely drenched us. Next day we traced this stream upwards to 

 the total distance of thirteen miles N.N.E., when, finding it took us 

 too much to the eastward, and that the grass in its neighbourhood had 

 considerably diminished in quantity, I left it coming from the N.E, in 

 several branches, the valleys of which were narrow, but grassy, and 

 drained extensive elevated plains of a poor and worthless character. Its 

 mouth is near the spot where Captain Flinders records on his chart 

 there is "a white streak in the said hills j" and on Its banks we occa- 

 sionally observed some rich and very good soil. Kangaroos were 

 abundant, and we frequently noticed traces of men ; but our only dog 

 was so pitiably foot-sore as to be quite incapable of catching anything, 

 nor could he be induced to wear, even for ten minutes, the various 

 leather boots we made for his relief. Naming this river the Gage, we 

 quitted it about sixteen miles from the coast, and crossed a western 

 branch as we steered westward, over open scrubby downs, drained by 

 small watercourses or lakes, containing either salt or brackish water. 

 After a harassing march of twenty-two miles, we were fortunately en- 

 abled to encamp on the 12th, amongst tolerable feed on the borders of 

 a lake^ perfectly fresh, and about three-quarters of a mile in diameter. 

 Five miles further westward, over similar country, brought us to the 

 abrupt rocky banks of another river, with a samphire bed seventy or 

 eighty yards wide, in which were pools of salt water, twenty yards by 

 six or seven, but not a vestige of grass. As no inducement presented 

 itself for following this river up to the N.N.W., I proceeded at once 

 down its bed to the south-westward, soon came to good grass, where 

 the banks opened out, and in less than three miles encamped in the 

 midst of abundance of it, and of drinkable water, at the junction of 

 several branches, some of which were observed to have cut their way 



