340 JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY INTO 



here found, with some surprise, to be S.W, by S., and corabinedj with 

 the great alteration also observed in the angle of its dip, to show that 

 a very great geological change had taken place in the features of the 

 country within the space of two short miles, I had visited the hill 

 because it lay in the direction towards which the shales were tending 

 from the southern shore of the estuary just left. A continuation of 

 those shales I certainly met with, as expected, but showing so diiferent 

 an arrangement as to direction and dip, that I could only account on 

 the spot for the sudden change by supposing that the Middle Mount 

 Barren ranges had been thrust up from below at a period subsequent 

 to that which formed the country around them. The fiat-topped sum- 

 mit of the Mount was distant ordy one mile to the N,E. f E. ; but in 

 the bottom of that short space lay another inlet from the sea, with a 

 dry sand-bar at its mouth, and two streams flowing into the head of it, 

 which was less than two miles distant to the W,N,W, As the sun was 

 near the horizon by the time I had completed a round of angles from 

 this bare hill, and we had yet much to do before reaching our camp, I 

 moved on westward, and in two miles and a half came to a part of the 

 larger inlet just below its very projecting cliffy headland. Having 

 from the opposite shore considered this spot worthy of inspection, the 

 horses were left in charge of Bob, while we scrambled down the steep 

 rocky bank to some low cliffs, and fully examined them and the adjoin- 

 ing shore up and down, but to no good purpose. The cliffs were of 

 light-coloured, hard sandstone and conglomerates, in massy horizontal 

 layers, and the land in front was low, very swampy, and thickly covered 

 with Tea-trees. Although this spot was in the line the shales were 

 taking from the opposite shore of the estuary, not the least appearance 

 of any were here visible, nor anything further to indicate the near 

 proximity of coal. As the day had now closed in, we recovered our 

 horses, and soon after dark reached the camp, though scarcely satisfied 

 with the unproductive result of our harassing day's work. That coal 

 exists in the vicinity of the lower part of this estuary, although proba- 

 bly not at the surface, there seemed no reason to doubt; all its atten- 

 dant clays, shales and sandstones, ironstone-veins, conglomerates, etc., 

 having been there seen in abundance ; but the great derangement 



which is observable in all the geological strata near the sea, about 



Middle Mount Barren, is calculated to throw out any but a practised 

 geologist, and to lead to a belief that, if coal is discovered there at all 



