CHAPTER XI. 



THE DEEP RIVER DISTRICT. 



The following report has been furnished to the Lands depart- 

 ment by Surveyor W. H. Goodwin, and we have to acknowledge 

 our indebtedne-s to the Surveyor-General for placing the dala <>i 

 what is looked to as a new field for settlement at our disposal : 

 " The Deep river has its source at lake Muir, which has been almost 

 dry for the last four or rive years ; it takes a southerly course 

 through paper bark swamps for about one mile, thence westerly for 

 four and a half miles, thence southerly without any definite channel 

 for seven miles over wide and more or less scrubby plains, which 

 are joined by other plains from the north-west. After this there is 

 a well denned channel, and the river takes a south-easterly course 

 for twelve miles, when it turns south- westerly for about 27 miles ; 

 thence south-easterly for 18 miles, thence easterly for about six 

 miles to the Nornalup inlet. The river is spread from source to 

 mouth by innumerable creeks and gullies, but the only tributary of 

 any importance is the Weld river, which joins the Deep river at a 

 place 22\ miles S S.W. from lake Muir. Permanent water is found 

 all along the course of the river from a point about 13 miles south 

 from its source, but continuous running water is not met with until 

 about 26 miles south. It would only be possible to take a small 

 boat up the river for three miles from its mouth, where the river 

 varies from two to three chains in width. Above this point the 

 channel is from 100 to 150 links wide as far as the Weld river, and 

 full of logs, and the water very shallow, except where there is a 

 water hole, of which there are several. Above the W T eld river, 

 excepting occasional pools, the channel gradually narrows until it 

 ceases to exist on the plains six miles south from lake Muir. Karri 

 is met with almost the whole way down the river, from about nine 

 miles south from its source, but seems to be confined to the 

 immediate neighborhood of the river in belts varying from 20 to 80 

 chains in width, or running in belts along some hill orgully. Red gum 

 is found on all karri belts, generally on the margin of the jarrah 

 country, and along the river banks. Many of the karri trees are of 

 immense size, the trunks measuring six to ten feet in diameter four 

 feet from the ground, and gradually tapering for 100 to 150 feet 

 without a branch. The red gum varies very much in size, but as a 

 rule, where it grows with karri the trunks are from four to six feet 

 in diameter, and 60 to 80 feet in length. The jarrah is, as a rule, 

 small, but there is an immense area where very fair jarrah, two to 

 three feet in diameter, suitable for any purpose w r here large timber 



