174 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
take the liberty of annexing some short extracts from the 
Journal which 1 kept on that journey. 
My friend, Mr. Harris, Senr. having been appointed 
Surgeon to the Australind Company, in the place of the late 
Dr. Carpenter, I gladly availed myself of the opportunity 
thus afforded of having his company in my excursion, an 
started with him on the 17th of May. Mr. Harris, though 
not one of the earliest, has always been among the most 
active and enterprizing settlers at the Swan, and as he had 
many adieus to take, it was late in the day before we quitted 
Perth, and equally late on the following (the 18th) ere we 
left Freemantle. I should have stated that I rode my favou- 
- rite grey pony “ Cabbine ;” this word is a native one, Cor- 
responding best perhaps with the English “ Perhaps,” and, 
signifying uncertainty, and a blending of hope and fear, 13 
not inapplicable to the animal which a Botanist rides. He 
was, however, so called by the Natives. Mr. Harris tra- 
velled in a cart upon springs, and as both he and I were 0€ 
experienced bushmen, we did not forget to carry 8 good 
supply of necessary provisions. We reached Clarence, ? - 
deserted village, where Mr. Peel and his people first settle 
about nine miles south of Freemantle, before dark that even- — 
ing, and made tea at one of his old wells. Here I observed — 
the Hottentot's Fig* of the Cape, which had become natu- 
ralized, and was displaying its large flowers, of a yellow 
colour; whereas our indigenous species has rose-coloured - 
blossoms, as I have seen it growing on the coast. The frat 
of both is alike indifferent, indeed the only good fruit pro — 
duced by this tribe of plants, and the best, perhaps which Wè — 
have, is that of a Mesembryanthemum, with small Le 
flowers, which grows commonly on the banks of the : 
river, and other places of the interior. ^ After taking our t6» — 
we proceeded six or seven miles farther, and halted fF — 
the night in a grove of Blackboys. Grass being plentiful : 
* Mesembryanthemum, | presume. ED. 
