39
Mr. DALE'S Second Excursion to trace the Helena River, in December, 1829.
At a quarter before 8 o'clock, a.m. left Perth and forded the Swan River at the islands; at 9 proceeded in an E. direction over a sandy and thickly-wooded country, and in five miles crossed a swamp lying E. and W., and soon afterwards a rather extensive one to the S.E., which we again crossed to the S.W.; two miles and a half further passed a small one lying S.E. and N.W.; we continued our walk about the same distance of two miles and a half when we came to the dry bed of a stream, and continued along its banks till we reached the mountains, where we bivouaced at 4 p.m. in a small valley with pretty good soil, and grass in it, but having a rocky surface. The country we walked over to-day was, till within four miles of the mountains, sandy, where we met with a light sandy loam.—First day's journey thirteen miles.
Dec. 8th,—At 61⁄4 a.m. proceeded in an E. direction, and commenced the ascent of the mountain up a narrow valley, in which we found a red soil, which continued to our arriving at the top, when the country became sandy and exceedingly rocky; soon afterwards ascended a steep hill into a deep valley, with a small brook running through it from E. by E. to N. by. W., and in about five miles from our bivouac came to a high hill, from the summit of which we had an extensive view of the plain in
