152 An Historical Review of the 



soil, which is one of the causes of the scrubby vegetation and 

 small development of grasses. The edge only of this table 

 land is drained by the rivers, the water in the interior forming 

 shallow lakes of saltwater during the rainy seasons, some few 

 of which overflow into the rivers, but others have no apparent 

 outlet, while the small quantity of rain which falls in the 

 interior is quite insufficient to balance the evaporation, which 

 is excessive in consequence of the extreme dryness of the air." 



" On the western coast there is a narrow strip of lower 

 land of sandstone formation which lies between the table 

 land and the sea level, in lat. 33°, and rises gradually as it 

 goes north to lat. 28°, where it is 800 or 900 feet above the 

 sea, and nearly hides the escarpment of the interior table land. 

 It is near this point that granite has protruded, and it is in 

 this rock that the mines of lead and copper exist* ; the rock 

 being intersected by numerous metallic veins, some doubt- 

 less, of great value, while the granite of the interior table land 

 is almost destitute of mineral deposits." (See Plate.) 



" Coal has only been found in the valleys of the rivers at 

 the base of the table land, along which it probably extends for 

 a great distance, but is covered by sandstones of *a later period. 



" Along the coast from Sharks Bay, nearly to Cape Leeuwin, 

 there is a strip of limestone of recent formation. This has not 

 been deposited in water but results from the constant accu- 

 mulation of sand and broken shells which have been drifted 

 from the sea beach by the force of the wind, and in course 

 of time become indurated by the lime of the shells cementing 

 the sand together, and forming a coarse rock, without any 

 regular stratification and nearly destitute of fossils, this rock is 

 still in course of formation, and may be seen in every stage of 

 progress from distinct sand to compact limestone." 



" The only hills of any elevation, are some small detached 

 ranges of sandstone, which has altered so much that its age 

 cannot be exactly determined, but either belongs to the car- 

 boniferous series, or is of older date. This rock forms hills 

 near King George's Sound, and along the coast near Mount 

 Barren, and rises to 3000 feet with rugged summits, which do 

 not appear to have been covered by the ocean at the period 

 when the sandstones, overlying the coal formation were de- 

 posited, and on their slopes above the limits of the sandstones 

 which rest horisontally around them, long lines of waterworn 

 boulders of rock present the appearance of sea beach, though 

 now nearly 500 feet above the ocean." 



* These mines were disc6vered by Mr. Gregory. 



