232 YORK. 



well watered by a neiohbouring spring. Our road 

 Jay in some places over tracts of loose white sand,, 

 and in others round and over low ironstone hills. 

 Descending from one of these heights to a rich nar- 

 row flat, the presence of three or four houses in- 

 formed us we were within the township of York. 

 The position of the level it occupies forms the western 

 bank of the river Avon, which is now and has been 

 for some time past nothing more than a chain of 

 water-holes. In this neighbourhood the hills lie 

 detached from one another in irregular directions, 

 and are composed of granite ; from the summit of 

 one on the western side of the town we looked over 

 a vast expanse of undulating forest land, densely 

 wooded, with scarcely a grassy patch to break the 

 monotony of the view. To give an idea of the per- 

 sonal labour early settlers are obliged to undergo, 

 I may mention that we found Mr. Bland, the most 

 wealthy colonist in Western Australia, engaged in 

 holding the plough. I was disappointed in my visit 

 to this part- of the country as it did not leave a 

 favourable impression of its fertility — still it afforded 

 me an opportunity of judging by comparison of the 

 quality of the soils in Western Australia and on the 

 banks of the Fitz-Roy, and I was happy to find I 

 had not overrated the latter. 



The odium of a recent murder in the vicinity 

 committed by natives had led to their absenting them- 

 selves just now from York, but a few of their 

 numbers too young for suspicion were employed in 



