OCR Text |
Show 176 CAMP OK THE 6ANDFLATS. point of the western promontory, and doubtless at one time formed the northern boundary of the lake in this direction. ' ^- At the point where yre Janded,. it was upward of a tiaile in breadth. There being no wood to be obtained- for cooking purposes hearer than the Jbot of the mountains, all hands were . despatched . to gather aud pack upon- their shoulders sufficient for that purpose; and the oamp ^ as pitched upon the naked sand- The. land party came in. at Rundown from the line of surrey, which had been carried to the - point of the . mountain at the head of ( he bay. They reported the discotery there of some springs with a small supply of good fresh water and abundant of excellent grass. • ' , Saturday, May 4.- Morning calm, bright, and balmy. ' Despatched' most of the hands to the springs found yesterday, for water, which they brought on their shoulders. to the boat- a distance of over two miles. On their return, we packed the baggage in* the skiff, and dragged it about half a. mile to the boat. After much difficulty, we extricated ourselves from the shoals; tod made " for the south point of the, range forming the western boundary of the. bay. At this point the water is deep,' quite to the shore, which is iron- bound by boulders of black rock from the surrounding hills. t A small ledge or reef of. rock was seen above'water some three hundred yards to the south. Rounding the point of , this little promontory, we encamped on a small bhri^ a short dis- ^ an^ ce from the edge of the water*. The hillsides are covered with broken masses of a very dark-coloured rock, containing much iron, and which, from its peculiar tint, as- we approached them from the water, gave the slopes thto appearance of being eovered with a forest of cedar. These rocks we fourid, upon landing, to consist of a dark compact limestone, Stained, and in many cases apparently vitrified, on the surface by iron. a The top of the ridge^ which is three or four hundred feet above the water, is crowned by a stratum of light cream- coloured Eirfestone, in a cliff thirty feet in height. ' All the varieties are of A close texture, and very hard, especially the white, which will, I think, quarry easily.. If so, it will be quite valuable, as the shores at'this point being accessible for - boats,' a continuous navigation is practicable to Black Rock, at th£ southern end of the lake, Yrhenoe the land- carriage to the city is only twenty miles. " Stnall quantities of bitumen were found on the shofce-, in the masses of a substance which lined. the beach to the depth of six inches, and resembled in appearance the brown, dried seaweed |