THE ENCAMPMENT. 215 



fruit* that we observed in King's Sound. I took the 

 boat in the afternoon at high water to proceed to the 

 encampment, which we were then able to approach 

 within a quarter of a mile. It was situated in the 

 depth of a creek, into which a clear and sparkling 

 stream of fresh water poured its abundance : the 

 shore was formed of enormous granite boulders, 

 which rendered it hardly accessible except at high 

 water ; and the red sandstone platform which is here 

 the nature of the coast, was abruptly intersected by 

 one of those singular valleys which give so marked 

 and so distinctive a characteristic to Australian geo- 

 logy. The separated cliffs approach to within 

 about a quarter of a mile of each other, and then — 

 still preserving their precipitous form — recede some 

 three miles inland, in a southerly direction, and there 

 rejoining, make any passage from Walker's Val- 

 leyt to the interior a barely practicable feat. The 

 encampment consisted of a few roofless huts, placed 

 irregularly upon a carpet of rich grass, whereon six 

 Timor ponies were recruiting after the fatigues of 

 a journey in which they appeared to have borne their 

 full share of privation and danger. Their market- 

 able value was indeed but small, and Lieut. Grey 

 had, therefore, determined to leave them behind in 

 the unrestrained enjoyment of their natural freedom. 



* Grey's Australia, Vol. I. page 211. 



\ So named by Lieut. Grey, to commemorate the services 

 rendered by the surgeon of his party, in finding a road from it 

 to the interjacent country. 



