e of their
lying waste and unoccupied. It was evident that the reign of solitude in
these beautiful vales was near a close; a reflection which, in my mind,
often sweetened the toils and inconveniences of travelling through such
houseless regions. At the foot of the last hill, and about a mile on our
way, we crossed a chain of deep ponds running to the south-west. Beyond
them was a plain of the very finest open forest-land, on which we
travelled seven miles; and then came upon a river with broad deep reaches
of very clear water, and flowing towards the north-west. We easily found
a ford and, on proceeding, entered upon a tract of white sand where
banksia and casuarinae were the chief trees. There was also some good
grass but it grew rather thinly upon it. The next water we crossed was a
small mountain-torrent hurrying along to the eastward in a deep and rocky
channel overhung with bushes.

ASCEND THE MOUNTAIN.

Being now close under the mountain, we dismounted and sent our horses
back for the sake of food to the bank of the last-mentioned river. The
first part of our ascent, on foot, was extremely steep and laborious,
although it was along the most favourable feature I could find. Above it
the impediments likely to obstruct our further ascent were two high and
perpendicular rocky cliffs; but I had observed before ascending those
crevices and intervals between rocks where we might most easily effect an
ascent; and through these we accordingly penetrated without much
difficulty. The upper precipice consisted of cliffs about 140 feet in
perpendicular height. Fortunately the ablest of the men with me was a
house carpenter and, being accustomed to climb roofs, he managed to get
up and then assist the rest.

CLOUDS COVER IT.

Having gained the top of this second precipice, we found winter and
desolation under drizzling clouds which afforded but partial and
transient glimpses of the world below. The surface at the summit of the
cliffs was broad and consisted of large blocks of sandstone, separated by
wide fissures full of dwarf bushes of banksia and casuarinae. These rocks
were inclined but slightly towards the north-west and, the bushes being
also wet and curiously encrusted with heavy icicles, it was by no means a
pleasant part of our journey to travel nearly half a mile upwards, either
on the slippery rock or between fissures among wet bushes. At length
however we reached the highest point and found that it consisted of