246 INTERIOK OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 



oue very prominent projection, only three-quarters of a mile W. 15°N. 

 from our steep teadlaud of the preceding day, a cove, half a mile wide, 

 and deep, extended to the westward, and received at its head a small 

 streamlet, at this time dry, winding through a steep cliffy valley, grassy 

 at its mouth. Red sandstone, and a slaty, shaly rock, were here preva- 

 lent, together with an outcropping of laminated quartz. 



The eastern side of the cove above mentioned^ was formed of another 

 steep red and yellow cliff, similar to that on the opposite shore. Its 

 ridge was extremely rugged, steep, and thickly scrubbed, and not finally 

 surmounted without much scrambling and tearing ; but all bruises and 

 broken shins were soon forgotten, when, at the seaward side of the cliff, 

 the same kind of shales lined the shore as those we had seen in the 

 vicinity of the coal. With raised hopes we proceeded, and contended 

 against every obstacle, but, as usual in these close proximities to coal, 

 the country was so rough and intricate, that, notwithstanding our 

 great eagerness to move on, the whole party were frequently hemmed 

 up into the smallest possible space, without power to stir another foot 

 until a new opening could be cleared. In our desire to avoid these 

 formidable obstacles to our progress, and save time and distance as 

 much as possible, we took advantage of every opportunity to wade m 

 the estuary whenever circumstances permitted ; but, as the water was 

 thick, and its depth not always apparent, our horses' legs were some- 

 times endangered by their plunging suddenly into holes amongst the 

 sunken rocks. Such an accident threw one of them on his side, and 

 caused some apprehensions for his limbs, and even for his life, before he 

 could be unloaded and got out again. 



The shales we here saw, on our E.S.E. course of about a mile, were 

 crossed by us obliquely, as they rose out of the estuary, and lay in the 

 general direction between W. 20'' S., and W.37°S., with an uncertain 

 amount of dip to the S.E., or S.E. by S., of about 45°, They then 

 disappeared under the steep white sand-dunes of the sea-coast, which 

 were covered thickly with flags and scrub. Below the shales, the 

 estuary contracted rapidly from 1^ mile to a width of 300 yards, and in 

 some places even to 150 yards; and the depth of water in this narrow 

 pass soon diminished to three or four feet, on a soft muddy bottom. 

 A mile and a half from the shales, through much thick tangle, took us 

 to the mouth of the estuary, which we found about a quarter of a mile 

 wide, and choked up by a dry bar of fine white sand, at least 300 yards 



