24th September.
As it was very important that I should obtain a round of bearings before
proceeding any further, the country having for some days past been too
flat to afford many opportunities for triangulation. I to-day started
with Messrs. Harding and Brown to ascend the ranges that lie to the west
of the river. A scramble of three miles over very rugged rocks brought us
to the highest point, which was found to be not more than 500 feet above
the sea; our journey, however, turned out to be fruitless, the magnetic
attraction of the volcanic rocks of which the hills are composed being so
great as to reverse the needle, which varied so much that I could not
even make use of the compass to take angles, and I had omitted to bring a
sextant. Kangaroos were numerous among these hills, but we did not
succeed in shooting any; they appear to be similar to those seen on the
plains near the Sherlock. The view we had of the country was very
extensive. To the south is a vast gently-undulating plain, only
occasionally interrupted by detached granite and sandstone peaks; while
narrow green lines of trees intersecting the plain in various directions
indicate the watercourses coming from the distant ranges, and wander in
wide sandy channels towards the sea; the course of the Strelley being
easily distinguished for many miles. To the north the eye could trace the
broad sandy bed of the DeGrey, trending towards Breaker Inlet, the
position of which was only distinguishable by the margin of deep-blue
mangroves that line it, and the whole of the extremity of the delta
formed by the alluvial deposits brought down by the river. To the east
and west of this is a wide expanse of alluvial flats, covered in most
parts with rich, waving grass, the sameness of the scenery being relieved
by detached patches of open park-like forest of flooded-gum. Returning to
the camp by noon, the remainder of the day was devoted by me to bringing
up the arrears of mapping, etc., and by the party generally in providing
a supply of fish and ducks, which here were found to be very plentiful.
25th September.
By 7 a.m. we were once more tracing down the DeGrey through the flats
seen yesterday. At eight miles the river divided into two channels of
nearly equal width, the eastern one being followed to latitude 20 degrees
5 minutes 16 seconds, travelling being very heavy, on account of the
numerous rat-holes that completely undermine the banks of the river for
more than a quarter of a mile back on either side. For the last few miles
the water in the river was decidedly brackish, and at our camp was
evidently influenced by the tides; we, however, procured some tolerably
good water by sinking a well in a sandbank in the dry portion of the
channel, which here was about 300 yards wide. Camp 90.