gradually, one
by one, dropped off to sleep; and we in turn, one always remaining on the
watch, followed their example.

INVITATION TO A NATIVE FEAST.

December 5.

I should have stated, in justice to the natives, that they last night
brought me the head and forequarters of a kangaroo, being the only game
they had with them; and of this they offered to make me a present, which
however I did not accept. They were again this morning very anxious that
we should delay our journey for a day or two, promising upon their part,
if we acceded to the request, to give us a grand entertainment at which
all their young men would dance, and that we should have abundance of
kangaroos if we would give flour in return. I deemed it however most
prudent to hasten my return to Perth to see what vessel had arrived;
therefore, after taking a cordial farewell of our friends, we moved off
on our homeward route and reached Boongarrup about the middle of the day
following, by a route rather to the westward of that by which we had come
out.

December 6.

This morning we started at daybreak and breakfasted at Manbeebee, and
immediately after breakfast resumed our route. I left the main party with
two natives and travelled up a swampy valley running nearly in the same
line as the chain of lakes we had followed in going. The natives insisted
on it that these lakes were all one and the same water; and when, to
prove to the contrary, I pointed to a hill running across the valley,
they took me to a spot in it, called Yundelup, where there was a
limestone cave, on entering which I saw, about ten feet below the level
of the bottom of the valley, a stream of water running strong from south
to north in a channel worn through the limestone. There were several
other remarkable caves about here, one of which was called the Doorda
Mya, or the Dog's House. Probably therefore the drainage of this part of
the country is affected by the chain of lakes, which must afterwards fall
into the river I saw to the northward. We slept at Nowoorgoop.

RETURN TO PERTH.

December 7.

We slept at Mooloore, and on the morning of the 8th we entered Perth and
found that the native's information was true, for the Britomart had
arrived from England.

I have already stated that on the arrival of the Champion her condition
did not enable us to proceed in her, and all prospect of being able to
conduct another expedition to the north-west coast being, for the
present, aba