25th October.
Accompanied by Messrs. Burges and Walcott, I proceeded to examine the
country to the eastward of our camp. Starting at 7.20 a.m., steered east
over grassy hills, with granite bases and table summits of red sandstone,
the latter rock forming but a poor soil with scanty feed and scrub;
crossed several small gullies running into the Chapman. At 10.0 passed a
large sandy hill, covered with short scrub, and halted at 11.0 in a
grassy gully in the bottom of a wide scrubby valley; at 12.45 p.m. again
resumed our journey, and ascending the sandy downs, at 1.15 gained the
highest ridge. Before us lay the valley of the Greenough River; the white
and red sandstone cliffs, which bound the valley on the south-east, were
distorted by excessive refractions, which, as we crossed each sandy
ridge, changed their appearance, sometimes assuming the appearance of
islands with high rocky shores, then like reefs with heavy breakers,
followed by high cliffs and grassy hills; but as we approached they
assumed their true character of low rocky hills and cliffs, scarce
exceeding 200 feet in height, and generally covered with dense thickets
of acacia growing on an otherwise barren stony soil. At 3.30 came on the
right bank of the Greenough River; the bed was quite dry, and had no
appearance of having run since the winter of 1847. Following up the
stream-bed to the north-east, passed some shallow pools of salt water;
and at 4.45 observed the black coal shales at the bottom of a deep cliff,
which formed the left bank of the river. At 5.0 halted for the night,
obtaining fresh water by scraping in the sand by the side of a pool of
salt water; we also found sufficient grass for our horses on the bank of
the river.
26th October.
At 7.10 a.m. left our bivouac, steering north 120 degrees east magnetic
towards a high sandstone cliff, which, after a ride of three-quarters of
an hour through thickets of acacia, we ascended; but the view was not
satisfactory, as thickets and scrubs extended over the whole of the
country. We therefore returned to the river, and followed it downwards to
the south-west by south. At 11.30 found some fresh water in a small
waterhole in the bed of the river; halted till 1.50 p.m. to refresh the
horses. The river turned south, and at 2.27 was joined by a small gully
from the west, and coming from a grassy valley. As it had run during the
last winter, it quite altered the character of the river for quarter of a
mile, filling the pools with water, and giving the grass and trees a
freshness which formed a most striking contrast with the brown and
parched appearance of the rest of the valley. At 3.55 altered the course
to 210 degrees magnetic; the country improved, many patches of grassy
land appearing in the valley, and the country became more rocky. At 5.30
crossed to the left bank, and found the river running with many large
pools of water, some more than a half a mile long and 80 to 100 yards
wide. The water was slightly brackish, being this year supplied
principally by springs, taking their rise in the new red sandstone
formation. We then followed the winding course of the river south-west
amongst high hills of sandstone, many of which were covered with
excellent grass, though the country was not generally good. At 6.20
halted for the night on the right bank of the stream, in a narrow but
rich grassy flat; heavy rain in the night.