ROAD TO AUSTRALIND. 381 



The road passes through the township of Pinjarra, 

 on the fertile banks of the Murray. Where it crosses 

 the river, the first and only great affray took place 

 with the natives, whose blood on that unfortunate 

 occasion stained the waters of the reach that now 

 slept in peaceful beauty, as if strife had never pol- 

 luted its banks.* Here we met Mr. Clifton, who 

 accompanied us to his new township of Australind, 

 to plant the germs of which, in the wilds of Western 

 Australia, he and his worthy family had left Engr 

 land and all the comforts of society. This interest- 

 ing spot is situated on the east side of Leschen- 

 ault Inlet; the approach is laid out with much 

 taste, the road leading along the foot of a hill 

 covered with wood, whilst on the right is an open 

 growth of trees, affording every now and then a 

 glimpse of the beautiful estuary, with its surface 

 just ruffled and glittering in the rays of the set- 

 ting sun. I was much struck with the beauty 

 of the scenery during this evening's and the mor- 

 row's excursion, having had no idea that there 

 was such a fertile, well watered, and heavily tim- 

 bered district so near the coast in Western Aus- 

 tralia.t 



Having conversed with Mr. Clifton on the sub- 



* A spirited painting of this encounter I saw ornamenting the 

 •walls of Captain Mears' cottage at Guildford. 



f Her Majesty's dockyards are now availing themselves of this 

 supply of excellent timber ; and its proximity to the sea must 

 greatly enhance the value of this part of the continent. 



