tribes had frightened them, and
they therefore kept themselves aloof from us; but Kaiber, one of the most
intelligent natives of these parts, volunteered to supply their place.
Our three horses were soon swum across the estuary of the Swan; and with
no slight anxiety I started on an expedition upon the proper conduct of
which would probably depend the lives of three of my fellow-creatures.

ROUTE TO THE MURRAY.

Our proceedings until we had reached Pinjarra on the banks of the Murray
offer little or no interesting matter; I shall therefore pass them over
in silence. We arrived in Pinjarra on the morning of the 11th, having
been somewhat delayed by the weakness of a young horse; as there was
however no possibility of obtaining another in its place I was obliged to
take it on with us. On the afternoon of the 11th we made little more than
four miles in a southerly direction along the banks of the Murray.

THE MURRAY RIVER.

On the 12th we started before dawn and travelled about eight miles in a
south by east direction; we then halted for breakfast on the banks of the
same river, which here issues out of the Darling Range after having found
a passage through that chain of mountains. Whilst breakfast was preparing
I walked up into the mouth of the gorge, which was replete with most wild
and beautiful scenery at this point. The river comes streaming out from a
rocky mountain pass, forming in its course a series of small cataracts.
The vale in which it runs offers an interesting specimen of woodland
scenery, and the high, bold, and partially bare granite mountains which
rear their heads above it differ much in character from the tame mountain
scenery that lies between Perth and York: this place is a favourite
resort of the wild cattle, and we saw everywhere numerous recent traces
of them.

WILD CATTLE.

In the afternoon we again started in a south by east direction. About a
mile after leaving the Murray we came suddenly upon four head of wild
cattle; two, which were distant from us, made off to the mountains, but a
noble white bull and a cow followed a line lying exactly in the course we
were pursuing. As we had one saddle-horse, which I was then on, I could
not resist having a gallop after them. I soon brought the bull to bay,
but when he had taken breath he turned and made off again and, as I had
no time to spare, I gave him no further interruption; on however wishing
to ascertain the hour I found that my watch had fal