On the top of this ridge they found about two acres of land clear of trees, covered with loose stones and short coarse grass, such as grows on some of the commons of England.  Over this heath they proceeded about a mile and a half, and encamped by the side of a fine stream of water, with just wood enough on the banks to serve for firewood.  From the summit they had a fine view of all the settlements and country eastwards, and of a great extent of country to the westward and south-west.  But their progress in both the latter directions was stopped by an impassable barrier of rock, which appeared to divide the interior from the coast as with a stone wall, rising perpendicularly out of the side of the mountain.  In the afternoon they left their little camp in the charge of three of the men, and made an attempt to descend the precipice by following some of the streams of water, or by getting down at some of the projecting points where the rocks had fallen in; but they were baffled in every instance.  In some places the perpendicular height of the rocks above the earth below could not be less than four hundred feet.

On the 28th they proceeded about five miles and three-quarters.  Not being able to find water, they did not halt till five o’clock, when they took up their station on the edge of the precipice.  To their great satisfaction they discovered, that what they had supposed to be sandy, barren land below the mountain, was forest land, covered with good grass, and with timber of an inferior quality.  In the evening they contrived to get their horses down the mountain by cutting a small trench with a hoe, which kept them from slipping, where they again tasted grass for the first time since they left the forest land on the other side of the mountain.  They were getting into miserable condition.  Water was found about two miles below the foot of the mountain.  In this day’s route little timber was observed fit for building.

On the 29th, having got up the horses and laden them, they began to descend the mountain at seven o’clock, through a pass in the rock about thirty feet wide, which they had discovered the day before, when the want of water put them on the alert.  Part of the descent was so steep that the horses could but just keep their footing, without a load, so that, for some way the party were obliged to carry the packages themselves.  A cart-road might, however, easily be made by cutting a slanting trench along the side of the mountain, which is here covered with earth.

They reached the foot at nine o’clock a.m., and proceeded two miles, mostly through open meadow land, clear of trees, the grass from two to three feet high.  They encamped on the bank of a fine stream of water.  The natives, as observed by the smoke of their fires, moved before them, as yesterday.  The dogs killed a kangaroo, which was very acceptable, as the party had lived on salt meat since they caught the last.  The timber seen this day appeared rotten and unfit for building.