[ attention of this country has been of late considerably directed to the Swan River, on the west coast of New Holland, as a suitable situation for a British Colony. Many of our countrymen are already gone with a view to settling there, and grants of land on liberal terms are offered upon certain, but very judicious conditions, by His Majesty's Government. The remarks, therefore, of Mr. Fraser, upon the soil, climate, vegetable productions, aspect of the country, &c. cannot fail to prove interesting to the general reader, as well as to the man of science. Previous to the expedition which Mr. Fraser accompanied, I am not aware that any naturalists, except those of the French Voyage of Discovery, have ever visited the Swan River; and all their investigations have been attended with such disastrous circumstances, partly, it would appear, from mismanagement, and partly from natural causes, that their means of observation were thereby very much limited.
Swan River is situated in lat. 32° 4' 31" S., long. 115° 46' 43" E. of Greenwich, in that part of the west coast of New Holland called Edel's Land. It empties itself into the ocean at one extremity of a semicircular bay, whose other extremity
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The North and South Heads of the entrance into Swan River are formed of low rocks of fossil limestone, in an advanced state of decomposition; presenting, in many instances, apertures of the most fantastic form; in which are exposed to view masses of roots and trunks of tree of great size.
The soil on the South Head is a barren sand, producing a considerable variety of interesting plants, amongst which I observed Anigozanthos Rufus, Anthocercis littorea, two species of Metrosideros, a charming species of Prostanthera, producing large quantities of rich blue flowers, a species of Gnaphalium, with procumbent stems, the white flowers of which give a snowy appearance to many parts of the cliffs, and a beautiful species of Dryandra. The appearance of the Gnaphalium, above-mentioned, is in some measure confirmatory of the sandy character which the French give of these hills.
On tracing the river a quarter of a mile from its entrance, on the south bank, I observed quantities of a species of Brunonia growing in great luxuriance on the margin of a salt marsh; its flowers of a brilliant sky-blue. Here I likewise gathered a magnificent species of Melaleuca with scarlet flowers, and two species of Metrosideros, with various other plants, which, from their being neither in flower nor in fruit, I could not attempt to describe.
Half a mile from the entrance, I found the soil, although apparently sterial, to consist of a fine light brown load containing a small proportion of sand, and capable of producing any light garden crop. This character not only applies to the immediate bank as far as the reach below Pelican Point, but likewise to the hills as far as my observation led. Those hills present the appearance of the petrified forest, from the immense quantity of trunks which protrude from several feet above the surface; and their decomposed state renders them of benefit rather than otherwise to the soil. Here I observed a brown snake, similar to that of Port Jackson, and it is remarkable that this was the only snake seen during the survey.
At the distance of one mile from the mouth of the river, the genus Eucalyptus appears, although in a stunted state.
I was much astonished at the beautiful dark green and vigorous appearance of the trees, considering that the season had been evidently unusually dry; but the cause must arise from the great quantity of springs with which this country abounds. On penetrating two feet into the earth, I found the soil perfectly moist, and I feel confident that had I penetrated a foot deeper, I should have found water. On the beach I observed several small pools of water, and many moist spots, which, in seasons of usual humidity, must be the seat of active springs, issuing from the calcareous rocks that bound them. The luxuriance of the vegetation on the immediate beach is truly astonishing. It consists principally of syngenesious plants, and a species of Hibiscus with peltate leaves. Here I observed a beautiful pendulous Leptospermum, resembling, in its appearance and the situation which it prefers, the weeping willow. An arborescent species of Acacia was likewise seen associated with it.