Geographical Collections. «447 
in loud peals along shores where the burst of the rising tide, onthe rough bellow- 
ing of the sea-lion, alone came to break the stillness of creation. 
Tenanted by the industrious sons of the west, the curling smoke will soon rise 
above the dark groves of evergreens,—the sunbeam will glance from the axe’s 
edge,—the bark will be stranded on the red shores, and the white sail will sweep 
like a spirit over the calm blue waters. Then the whale will descend to more 
southerly seas, the kangaroo will bound away far into the interior of the con- 
tinent, and the raven-winged swan will take its last majestic flight. The stern 
and obdurate savage will alone remain to mar the quiet of the settlers. His fate 
is as that of the hunted beast. If he will not know the truths of religion, nor 
bow to the rules of social order, he must yield to the strong arm of power, and 
in future times tradition alone will tell of the dark wandering tribes of Australia. 
Anxious to fulfil the promise made to our readers, of giving them some of the 
general results which we could cull from our partial acquaintance with the geo- 
graphy and natural history of these districts, we shall draw the stern veil of 
science over the vision of future glory that hovered so brightly o’er these favoured 
shores ; and having done every thing in our power to accumulate facts for such a 
labour, shall be able to give more satisfactory information on the productions,— 
the natural resources and probable success of this interesting colony,—than are 
easily attainable by the public. 
Geographical Position.—The most south-westerly point of Australia is called 
Cape Leeuwin, and the land, from a little to the south-east of this to near the 
Swan River, gets the name of Leeuwin’s Land, having been first seen by the 
commander of a Dutch vessel named the Lioness in 1622. Edel’s Land, situat- 
ed beyond this, and extending northward to Cape Escarpée, and through which 
this river courses, was probably first seen and named by Edel a Dutchman in 
1619, three years after the discovery of Endracht’s Land by Dirk Hartog. The 
Swan River was, however, first visited by Vlaming in 1697, and is situated in 
latitude 32° 4’ 31” south, and longitude 115° 46’ 43” east of Greenwich. The 
determination of Captain Bandin gives to the mouth of this river 32° 4’ 31” of 
south latitude, and 113° 26’ 28” east longitude of Paris. By a typographical 
error, it is placed, in the printed correspondence of the House of Commons, in 
11° east longitude. In these documents it is also placed in 34° south latitude. 
A group of islands connected with one another, and with the mainland by reefs, _ 
is situated off the mouth of the river. The largest was named Rottenest by the 
Dutch, from the number of rats’ (Perameles nasuta, Geoff.) nests which occur in 
it. Its greatest diameter is eight miles. The second largest island received from 
the French the name of Buache. There is another little isle called Isle Polo 
Carnac and Isle Berthollet; and the whole group was named by the French na- 
vigators Isles Louis Napoleon, ; 
General Characiers.—The line of coast, as fay as Geographe Bay, is a lime- 
stone ridge, varying from twenty to six hundred feet in height, and extending in- 
land for the distance of four or five miles. The country, from the shores to the 
base of the mountains, is undulating and open, a thinly-wooded grazing country 
to the north, and fine grass plains towards Cape Geographe. ‘The range of 
mountains denominated General Darling’s Range, attains a height of from 12 to 
1500 feet : the culminating points of St. Anne’s and Mount William are 3000 
feet high. Bailly, who visited the river in the Naturaliste, says that its banks 
were covered on both sides with fine forests, which extended a great way into the 
interior. Mr. Frazer, however, says that the forests do not average more than 
from eight to ten trees an acre. ‘* We found,” says Captain Stirling, “ the 
country rich and romantic, gained the summit of the first range of mountains, 
and had a bird’s eye view of an immense plain, which extended as far as the eye 
could reach to the northward, southward, and eastward. After ten days absence 
we returned to the ship; we encountered no difficulty that was not easily sur- 
mounted; we were provided with abundance of fresh provisions by our guns, and 
met with no obstruction from the natives.”’ 
