was the only part of South-west Australia in which I had met with the
ancient red sandstone of the north-west coast; immediately behind the
sandhills on which I stood was a thick Casuarina scrub which sloped down
into a deep valley, and beyond this rose lofty and fantastic hills. After
I had for some time looked round on this scene I returned to the party
and received the report of the carpenters, who, having examined the
boats, stated their inability to render either of them fit for sea. To
this I had already made up my mind; and even if the boats had been
uninjured I doubt whether we could ever have got them off again through
the tremendous surf which was breaking on this part of the shore; whilst
to have moved them to any distance would, in our present weak and
enfeebled state, have been utterly impossible.

ESTUARY AND LANDING-PLACE AND SCENERY ABOUT IT.

No resource was now left to us but to endeavour to reach Perth by
walking; yet when I looked at the sickly faces of some of the party and
saw their wasted forms I much doubted if they retained strength to
execute such a task; but they themselves were in high spirits and talked
of the undertaking as a mere trifle. I gave orders for the necessary
preparations to be made and then started with two or three hands to
search for water. On reaching the valley I have before mentioned we found
a small stream, and following this to the northward for about a mile came
out upon one of the most romantic and picturesque-looking estuaries I had
yet seen: its shores abounded with springs and were bordered by native
paths, whilst the drooping foliage of several large sorts of Casuarina,
the number of wild swans on its placid bosom, and the natives fishing in
the distance, unconscious of our presence, imparted to the whole scene a
quiet and a charm which was deeply felt by those who had now for so many
days been either tossed about by the winds and waves or had long been
wandering over barren and inhospitable shores. We did not indeed find
much good land about this estuary, but there were rich flats upon each
side of it, whilst the nature of the rocks and the lofty and peculiar
character of the distant hills gave promise of the most fertile region I
had yet seen in extra-tropical Australia.

We followed the shores of the estuary to the northward and eastward until
we saw a point where it appeared to separate into two branches. The
natives decamped as soon as they observed us coming,