15 to 18 miles, is Encounter Bay, the country intervening
between the two points to the shores of the Goolwa is very level, the
soil is light but rich, and there appeared to me to be many thousand
acres that were adapted for agricultural purposes, better adapted indeed
than the richer soils. Whether that view be correct or not, the valleys
of the Inman and Hindmarsh immediately behind Encounter Bay would fully
make up for the want of agricultural land in this part of the province.
Hindmarsh valley is not of any great extent, but the soil is good, and
its scenery in my humble opinion surpasses any other I remember in South
Australia. I shall never, indeed, forget the beautiful effect of sunset,
on a fine bold mountain at the head of it, called the Black Hill. The
glowing orb was fast descending behind it to the west, and the Black Hill
was cast into deep shade, whilst the sun's rays shooting down two valleys
on either side gave the grass the appearance of young wheat. The extent
of arable land in the valley of the Inman is very considerable, but in
point of scenery bears no comparison with the first. I do not know
whether I have made it sufficiently clear that there is a high range at
the back of the coast hereabouts. If not, I would observe that it runs
uninterruptedly from Mount Lofty to Cape Jarvis. Opposite to Encounter
Bay it occupies nearly the centre of the promontory, and consequently
forms a division of the eastern and western waters, there being a
considerable breadth of barren stringy-bark forest between the heads of
the opposite valleys, here as on the higher parts of the ranges near
Mount Lofty, from the ascent of the great eastern road to the valley of
the Onkerparinga.

It is a remarkable fact, but one that I believe I have already adverted
to, that the farther north, towards the valley of the Wakefield, the more
denuded of timber the country becomes, until at last not a tree of any
kind can be seen. These extensive and open downs are, nevertheless, well
grassed, and covered with a profusion of orchideous plants. Whether,
however, there is any salt present in the soil, to check the growth of
the trees, it is impossible to say. Undoubtedly many of the ponds in the
Wakefield, as well as other parts of the province are brackish, but the
same denuded state of the country exists not any where else. These
districts are far too valuable to be overlooked, and are therefore
extensively occupied by cattle and sheep.