Nov. 8, 1858.] GASCOYNE RIVERS, IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 43 



ground, with the exception of the bed of the river, being parched 

 and dry, no rain having fallen during the summer to the west of 

 the Lyons Eiver in longitude 115^ 30' E. 



16th May. — Being Sunday, we only moved 4 miles lower down 

 the river for better feed, the channel widening out to 600 yards. 



11th May. — Early to-day the river began to throw off numerous 

 channels to the north and south, shedding, when in flood, a con- 

 siderable amount of water over the adjoining plains, clothing the 

 country in the garb of spring, the grass growing luxuriantly along 

 the numerous channels, atriplex and other low bushes generally 

 covering the plain, the lowest levels of which were extensively 

 covered with fields of mud from 1 to 14 inches thick, the deposit 

 of a single inundation, yet scarcely hardened by the summer sun. 



At 20 miles we ascended a sandy ridge of about 60 feet in height, 

 from which we had our first view of Shark Bay, Babbage Island, 

 and the mouths of the Gascoyne, now only 4 miles distant. 



Behind the ridge upon which we stood, and for many miles to 

 the south-east, the country was still under water from the recent 

 floods, while between us and the sea la}^ a low flat, on which were 

 many patches of acacia thicket, alternating with open grassy 

 glades, or fields of atriplex and samphire, terminating to the west- 

 ward in a broad, irregular belt of mangroves, resting on the shallow 

 margin of the bay. 



Descending to the flat, we encamped in a rank patch of grass on 

 the bank of the river, about a mile above Babbage Island, the north 

 end of which I found to be in latitude 24° 52', which is 4 miles 

 north of the position as given by Sir G. Grey. 



lB)th May. — We found no difficulty in crossing the southern mouth 

 on to Babbage Island, the tide being low ; it was quite dry at the 

 junction. Having, with Mr. Eoe, walked over the greater part of 

 the island, making a rough sketch of its outlines, and completing 

 the requisite observations, while the rest of the party were occupied 

 in an unsuccessful attempt to catch fish, we retraced our steps and 

 crossed the main channel opposite our last night's bivouac, where 

 it is not more than 250 yards wide. Continuing our course north- 

 east for nearly a mile, we crossed several back channels, some 

 trending towards the Kolaina Flat of Sir G. Grey, while others were 

 lost in the deep sandy ravines that extend for some distance to the 

 north of the river. 



While on Babbage Island several natives had waded across the 

 northern mouth of the river to meet us, and had returned after a 

 friendly interview, in which they apparently described the recent 

 landing of two boats with Europeans. We now again fell in with 



