102 
CROSS A LARGE RIVER. 
Many oyster and cockle shells were on its shore. 
This was the largest river we had yet come to, and 
it gave ns much trouble to cross it, for* wherever it 
appeared fordable, the bed was so soft and muddy, 
that we dared not venture to take our horses into 
it. By tracing it upwards for eight miles, we at 
last found a rocky shelf extending across, by which 
we were enabled to get to the other side. At the 
point where we crossed, it had become only a nar- 
row rocky channel ; but there was a strong stream 
running, and I have no doubt, higher up, the water 
might probably have been quite fresh. Its waters 
flowed from a direction nearly of west-north-west, 
and appeared to emanate from the high rugged 
ranges behind King George’s Sound. The country 
about the lower or broad part of this river, as far as 
I traced it, was rocky and bad ; but higher up, there 
was a good deal of grass, and the land appeared im- 
proving. In the distance, the hills seemed less 
rocky and more grassy, and might probably afford 
fair runs for sheep. Upon the banks of the river 
were a few casuarinse and more of the tea-tree, and 
bastard gum, than we had seen before upon any other 
watercourse. 
Upon crossing the river, we found the country 
getting more wooded, with a stunted-looking tree, 
apparently of the same species as the stringy bark, 
with bastard gums, and large banksias, the intervals 
being filled up with grass-trees and brush, or shrubs, 
common at King George’s Sound. At dark we 
