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what the natives say on the subject, but I think it very likely from what some of them have told me that there is a great bay or creek running far inland, in a south and by east direction from Cambridge Gulf, and that into this the principal waters of the western and north-western part of this island discharge themselves. But this is only theory—not quite unfounded though, for the end of Cambridge Gulf was not seen, I believe, by Captain King, though he sailed up a considerable distance. Again; that would account for what the native Tomghin says about the sea in a direction north by east or north north east from this, where there are high mountains, not seen, burning sand, and weak-eyed people (according to his description).
Thursday.—Set out at eight this morning for Perth. Left it again at five, without even having sat down in the meantime, and reached home tired and hungry. John Mackie came and spent the evening with me. I learned through the means of Mr. Armstrong, who acts as a native interpreter, that the natives are all aware that this is an island, and that the sea which Tomghin spoke of is the sea which bounds the north coast. I had no idea that their knowledge of geography had been so extensive and accurate. It appears a singular fact that, as far as we know of this part of our colony and of its formation, the rocks are either of the oldest or the most recent formation, without the appearance of the intermediate classes, in other words, of the primary and tertiary without the secondary, or, in still plainer terms (lest I should make a mistake in the scientific names) of the granitic and of the alluvial or clay formation. This promises badly for coals, &c., but from the description given of the coast towards the Australian Bight in some of the charts, that district is more likely to be of the secondary formation. Being without the assistance of books here, and having to speak merely from a dim and distant recollection of a former slender acquaintance with these subjects, one is naturally diffident now. There is
