VISIT YORK.

As a little time was required to give the ship a slight refit and the crew some relaxation, it afforded an opportunity of visiting York, situated about sixty miles east from Perth, and at that extremity of the colony.  Accordingly, one murky afternoon a small party of us were wending our way over the Darling Range.  Long after dark the welcome bark of dogs rang through the forest in the still dark night, assuring us that shelter was at hand, and we soon found ourselves before a large fire in the only house on the road, enjoying, after a dreary wet ride, the usual fare at that time at the out-stations—­fried pork and kangaroo.  About this tenement was the only spot of land along the whole line of road that could at all lay claim to anything like fertility; at which I was the more surprised, as our route intercepted the direction in which patches of good land are generally found in this part of the continent.  The soil of this little piece was of a rich black mould and well watered by a neighbouring spring.  Our road lay in some places over tracts of loose white sand, and in others round and over low ironstone hills.  Descending from one of these heights to a rich narrow flat, the presence of three or four houses informed us we were within the township of York.  The position of the level it occupies forms the western bank of the river Avon, which is now and has been for some time past nothing more than a chain of waterholes.  In this neighbourhood the hills lie detached from one another in irregular directions, and are composed of granite; from the summit of one on the western side of the town we looked over a vast expanse of undulating forest land, densely wooded, with scarcely a grassy patch to break the monotony of the view.  To give an idea of the personal labour early settlers are obliged to undergo, I may mention that we found Mr. Bland, the most wealthy colonist in Western Australia, engaged in holding the plough.  I was disappointed in my visit to this part of the country as it did not leave a favourable impression of its fertility—­still it afforded me an opportunity of judging by comparison of the quality of the soils in Western Australia and on the banks of the Fitzroy, and I was happy to find I had not overrated the latter.

The odium of a recent murder in the vicinity committed by natives had led to their absenting themselves just now from York, but a few of their numbers too young for suspicion were employed in the capacity of servants and appeared sharp and intelligent lads.

SAIL FROM SWAN RIVER.

On the 20th of June we took leave of our friends in Western Australia, proceeding out of Owen’s anchorage by a passage recommended by the Harbour-Master, in which we found half a fathom less water than the one through which we entered.  During our stay there, nothing could exceed the kindness with which we were welcomed, and we experienced that proverbial hospitality of colonists which in this instance we shall ever remember with feelings of the most sincere and heart-felt pleasure.