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THE JOURNEY.

NEW SETTLEMENT—FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY—CATCHES TWO LIZARDS—RESCUES A YOUNG KANGAROO—CONSTANT SUCCESSION OF HILLS—THE RIVER AVON—ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY—HILLS—PLANTS—SINGULAR CAVE—RIVER BECOMES SALT—SOIL MORE BARREN—COME TO A FRESH WATER LAKE—CAPTURE AN ANT EATER—IMPROVEMENT IN THE COUNTRY—THE RIVER BECOMES ABSORBED IN THE EARTH—RETURN TO MOUNT BAKEWELL—RESUME THEIR JOURNAL—SURPRISE A NATIVE FAMILY—CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY—REACH PERTH—REFLECTIONS ON THE JOURNEY—DEPREDATIONS OF THE NATIVES—INSOLENCE OF SERVANTS—SWAN RIVER—HARVEST-HOME.

October 15th, 1831.

You will hardly believe that I have only this night been able to seat myself at home as a resting-place, since the thirtieth of August, I shall now take up the narrative from the date of the last letter.

The Governor having determined to commence a settlement on the other side of Darling Range, and several settlers being desirous to take the opportunity of going over to their respective grants, Mr. Dale, an officer in the 60th Regiment, the first who had penetrated beyond the Range, was selected to point out the most direct practicable route; and it was deemed a good opportunity to combine with the expedition an exploratory excursion for some distance in a S.S.E. and N.N.W. direction from Mount Bakewell, the centre of York district, where it was intended to form the settlement; the river Avon was supposed to run direct in this line. As the country had before been examined twenty miles up and ten miles down its stream, it was now proposed to go fifty miles in a S.S.E.