April 5.

Such a heavy dew had fallen during the night that when I got up in the
morning I found my clothes completely saturated, and everything looked so
verdant and flourishing compared to the parched up country which existed
to the north of us, and that which I knew lay to the south, that I tried
to find a satisfactory reason to explain so strange a circumstance, but
without success. It seemed certain however that we stood in the richest
province of South-west Australia, and one which so differs from the other
portions of it in its geological characters, in the elevations of its
mountains which lie close to the sea coast, in the fertility of its soil,
and the density of its native population, that we appeared to be moving
upon another continent. As yet however the only means I had of judging of
the large number of natives inhabiting this district had been from their
paths and warran grounds, but it was most probable that we should ere
long fall in with some of them.

We started at dawn pursuing a south-south-east direction, and at the end
of one mile rounded a bluff point; the limestone hills to the eastward
gradually decreased in elevation and we ascended one of them to gain a
view of the surrounding country. I found that the summit of this range
consisted of a terrace about half a mile wide, richly grassed and
ornamented with clumps of mimosas; to the eastward rose a precisely
similar limestone terrace, whilst to the westward lay the estuary with
its verdant and extensive flats.

APPEARANCE OF NATIVES.

As we wound our way along this terrace a large party of natives suddenly
appeared on the high ground to the eastward of us. They evinced no fear