Part 3 (1/2)

17th Septe in about twenty different places around the lake, at length found fresh water, and then went back for the knocked-up horse, and with soot him to the well, where we decided to rest the horses this and the following day, before encountering the inhospitable sandy region to the southwards

18th September

One of the party made a short excursion to the west of the plain, and in about three miles reached the hills, which appeared very barren and scrubby; but after crossing the first ridge, the country was tie species of acacia, producing abundance of gurass and abundance of the everlasting flowers and warran, or native yaood country four aroo and ten cockatoos

19th Septerees, and soon ascended the sandy dohich were destitute of trees, except a few banksia and floribunda; at 1145 crossed a valley trending to the west; at 115 pe of wooded hills to the east and south; altered the course towards a reue stream-bed with many pools of water; followed it down south, and carees 42 rees

REACH THE MOORE RIVER

20th September

Crossed the watercourse, which seerees frorassy hills and brown loaum and jam-wattle This description of country continued till 1215 pain prevailed on ironstone hills tium; at 220 entered a valley of better character, with quartz and granite rocks After crossing several rocky ridges, at 320 reached the main branch of the Moore River, which we crossed, and caastrolobiuitude 116 degrees 13 minutes

21st September

At 730 arees; at 80 passed a deserted sheep-station, the river co froes, tium; at 100 the country became more level and sandy, and at 1145 struck the road from Toodyay to Victoria Plains; followed the road southerly till 45 prees 14 rees 34 minutes

CAPTAIN GREY'S REPORT OF GOOD COUNTRY CONFIRMED

22nd Septeart Spring, after an absence of forty-seven days, during which we had travelled 953 rees of latitude and nearly four and a half of longitude

The discovery of coal and country available for settlement on the coast to the north of Swan River was deemed to be of such importance that the Government dispatched Lieutenant Helpman in the colonial schooner Champion to procure a sufficient quantity of the coal to ad practically tested as to quality, and also to ascertain what facilities existed for its conveyance to a port for shi+p of Lieutenant Irby, Dr Meeklehaory and Hazlewood, accompanied Lieutenant Helpman to Champion Bay, now the site of Geraldton, and thence by land to the coal-seaht down about half a ton of coal to the vessel This coal, though of fair quality and suitable for steam purposes, proved, however, to be so remote from any suitable port for shi+pment that it has hitherto not been available for coe having been attained, it was considered desirable to avail of the opportunity to examine the country to the northward and ascertain its capabilities for settleood country on his journey along the coast from Gantheaume Bay to Swan River, in 1839, Captain Stokes, who landed frole subsequently and ascended Wizard Peak about twelve atived the existence of any country capable of occupation, though, as an illustration of the difficulty of ascertaining the real capabilities of country by partial and hurried inspection, it may be observed that this has since become one of the ard to its pastoral, agricultural, andthis exaory, and Lieutenant Irby, taking three horses and three days' provisions, left Cha a copy of the journal:--

20th December, 1846

At 620 am left the bivouac and followed the shore of Charees over a scrubby country; at 720 crossed the Chap a quarter of a rees, the country being thinly covered attle scrub and soe branch of the Chapman with several small pools of water in the bed; the country beyond was ed the course to 18 degrees, and at 920 again crossed the Chapman River just below a pool of apparently pere, beyond which the country irass to the eastward; at 1020 ascended a high flat-topped hill of red sandstone resting on granite, which proved to be the eastern point of Moresby's Flat-topped Range From this hill Mount Fairfax and Wizard Hill were visible to the east; grassy hills rose gradually frorees over grassy country, the soil was coranite and trap rocks; at 110 cae party of natives, so out places where we should find water At noon turned to the north-east and entered an extensive valley with soood character; at 1230 p west; followed it about half a mile, and then steered north-west over scrubby flats till 10, e struck a small stream-bed with small pools of water, and halted till 120, and then followed up the stream to the north till 30, e bivouacked

21st December

At 635 arass, York-gu rocks red sandstone, quartz, and granite; at 830 crossed a strea east, and at 850 entered a good grassy country which appeared to extend ten to twelve um, jam-wattle, and sandalere observed on so several small watercourses, at 945 ascended an elevated sandy tableland covered with coarse scrub; and at 1035, not seeing any prospect of better country, changed the course to west, and following down a deep gully, at 117 ca the watercourse south-south-west, at 1125 ca by the natives, in which the water was fresh, though the pools above and beloere salt Halting till nearly 10 prassy valleys trending south; at 135 steered 211 degrees over a hilly, quartz, and granite country with very good grass; at 230 again carassed, with scattered jam and black wattle trees as far as the country was visible; at 350 the strea it to the west-north-west till 50, bivouacked in the bed of the strea in the sand

22nd Decerassy country; at 70 ascended a small ironstone hill, fro to the south-west; to the north and west the country was open and grassy for twelveat one view fifty or sixty thousand acres of fine sheep pasture Continuing a south-west course over granite country with sorass, but not equal to that seen the previous day, at 80 crossed a small stream-bed, which we assumed to be the Bowes River of Captain Grey; we ascended steep limestone hills on the west bank, and froe white sand patch on Point Moore bearing 170 degrees; turning south three-quarters of a mile, crossed the Bowes River at its mouth, which was choked up with sand; we then steered south-east with the intention of following Captain Grey's route to Cha sandy doith limestone rocks for four miles, one of the horses became so footsore that we descended a deep ravine to the sea-beach, which was followed southerly, and after crossing the dryplace in Champion Bay at 110 pm

On the 23rd the party and horses were shi+pped on board the Champion and reached Fremantle on the 28th

THE SETTLERS' EXPEDITION TO THE NORTHWARD FROM PERTH, UNDER MR

assISTANT-SURVEYOR AC GREGORY