I now turned off west by south, quitting the bed of the river, which I named the Gascoyne in compliment to my friend, Captain Gascoyne, and found that we were in a very fertile district, being one of those splendid exceptions to the general sterility of Australia which are only occasionally met with:  it apparently was one immense delta of alluvial soil covered with gently sloping grassy rises, for they could scarcely be called hills; and in the valleys between these lay many freshwater lagoons which rested upon a red clay soil that tinged the water of its own colour and gave it an earthy taste.

The country here was but very lightly timbered and well adapted for either agricultural or pastoral purposes, but especially for the growth of cotton and sugar, should the climate be sufficiently warm; and of this I think there can be no doubt whatever.  I was so won by the discovery of this rich district that I wandered on unconscious of the fatigue of the party, roaming from rising ground to rising ground, and hoping from each eminence to gain a view of high land to the eastward, but on all sides I could see nothing but the same low fertile country.  I however felt conscious that within a few years of the moment at which I stood there a British population, rich in civilization and the means of transforming an unoccupied country to one teeming with inhabitants and produce, would have followed my steps and be eagerly and anxiously examining my charts; and this reflection imparted a high degree of interest and importance to our present position and operations.

RETURN TO THE RIVER.

The darkness of night was now closing round us and Kaiber the native, with his long thin legs, put himself at the head of the party and, taking a star for his guide, led us with rapid and lengthy paces across the plains to the encampment, where we found the party anxiously waiting to hear what success we had met with.  Poor Mr. Smith was very unwell tonight with a feverish attack.  Mr. Walker had prescribed for him and ordered him to be kept quiet.  I got a meridian altitude of Procyon which put us in 24 degrees 56 minutes 57 seconds south latitude.

March 6.

Mr. Smith was if anything worse this morning, and I learned from some of the men that he had been wandering about all night, and had bathed several times in the river.  I remonstrated with him about having done so, but he excused himself, and I determined to remain stationary at this point for a day or two to give him plenty of rest before we again started on our cruise along the coast.

PLAN OF FUTURE PROCEEDINGS.

After the discovery of the Gascoyne the plan I made up my mind to follow was to examine rapidly the coast as far as Cape Cuvier, to return from that point to Bernier Island and refit; then once more to visit the Gascoyne properly equipped, and thoroughly explore the adjacent district to the distance of fifty or sixty miles inland; and lastly to examine the unknown portion of Shark Bay which lay to the southward of us.