156 
GRASSY VALLEYS. 
for £25. for one of the native boys to ride, to 
replace in some measure the services of the 
animal I had been obliged to have shot up to the 
north. The only objection to my new purchase 
was that it was a little mare and already forward in 
foal. At Port Lincoln, however, I was not likely 
to meet with any horses for sale, and did not there- 
fore deem it prudent to lose the only opportunity 
that might occur of getting an animal of some 
kind. After quitting Mr. Dutton’s, I followed a 
dray road leading towards Port Lincoln. For the 
most part we passed through green valleys with rich 
soil and luxuriant pasturage, but occasionally inter- 
sected by poor sandy or gravelly soil of a saline 
nature ; the water was abundant from recent heavy 
rains, and some of the pools fresh ; others, however, 
were very brackish. The hills adjoining the valley 
were grassy, and lightly wooded on their slopes 
facing the valley ; towards the summits they became 
scrubby, and beyond, the scrub almost invariably 
made its appearance. Altogether we passed this day 
through a considerable tract of country, containing 
much land that is well adapted for sheep or cattle, 
and with a fair proportion suitable for agriculture. 
It is by far the best portion of the available country 
in the Port Lincoln peninsula, and I could not help 
regretting it should be so limited in extent. I had 
now travelled all the three sides of the triangle, and 
had obtained extensive views from various heights 
along each of these lines of route ; I had crossed 
