and luxuriant looking; it appeared like a swamp in winter, but quite dry now.  Was struck by the singularity of some tea-trees growing, of a large size, both up the sides and on the tops of high sandhills, but which appeared to rest upon limestone.  Got a view to the east and south of the range.  The country presented the same appearance as before.  It must be remarked that the grass was all parched and withered and of a yellow straw colour; and it was from this colour principally that we judged of its existence on the distant grounds.  Those who have once seen tracts of withered grass will not readily mistake its appearance; but the green of the shrubs was extremely vivid.  One observation which we had repeated occasion to make was the constant heavy dews which fell at night on this coast, rendering everything about the ship quite wet.  The wind was off the land.  The country all around seemed to be on fire in the morning.  The thermometer, as I stood on the deck, was 94 degrees.  In the evening the wind came round to the north-west, and, desirous of availing ourselves of such a favourable breeze, we got on board and set sail, but were obliged to stand well out to sea to clear the reefs.  Towards night it fell calm again, and there was some lightning in the north.

...

District immediately to the north of swan river.

The third district lies immediately to the north of Perth.  It contains four rivers: 

The Norcott,
The Moore,
The Smith,
The Hill.

The Norcott and Moore Rivers, about fifty miles to the north of Perth, were before known; and about twenty-five miles to the north of Moore River is the Smith.  The Hill comes out of Gairdner’s Range, the natural northern limit of this district, which is connected with Perth by a chain of freshwater lakes, the greatest distance between any two of them being not more than from five to six miles.  The whole of this district is therefore fit for location, and affords a gratifying proof that the flourishing colony of the Swan is by no means deficient in good and immediately available land.

The circumstance also of this district being so abundantly supplied with water, even at the end of an uncommonly dry season, which was the period I traversed it in, much enhances its value.  It must, as the number of horned stock in the colony of Western Australia increases, be the first occupied; for it is nearer to a market than any other open to location, and affords both water and food for cattle in good supply.

CHAPTER 7.  VOYAGE HOMEWARDS.

Before quitting the Mauritius, in August 1838, I had written to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, reporting my intention to proceed to the Swan River, and then, as circumstances might guide me, either to return from thence at once to the north-west coast, or, should that not be feasible, to await further instructions from England; adding that, in the latter event, I should attempt in the meantime to pass the range to the north-east of the Swan, and endeavour to ascertain in what direction the streams thrown off from this range towards the interior might flow.