These Two
Spots Excepted, From The South To The North It Was A Vast Level,
Resembling The Ocean In Extent And Appearance.
From east-north-east to
south, the country was broken and irregular; lofty hills arising from
the midst of lesser elevations, their summits crowned with perpendicular
rocks, in every variety of shape and form that the wildest imagination
could paint.
To this grand and picturesque scenery, Mount Exmouth
presented a perpendicular front of at least one thousand feet high, when
its descent became more gradual to its base in the valley beneath, its
total elevation being little less than three thousand feet. To the
north-east commencing at N. 33. E., and extending to N. 51. E., a lofty
and magnificent range of hills was seen lifting their blue heads above
the
horizon. This range was honoured with the name of the Earl of Hardwicke,
and was distant on a medium from one hundred to one hundred and twenty
miles: its highest elevations were named respectively Mount Apsley, and
Mount Shirley. The country between Mount Exmouth and this bounding range
was broken into rugged hills, and apparently deep valleys, and several
minor ranges of hills also appeared. The high lands from the east and
south-east gradually lessened to the north-west, when they were lost in
the immense levels, which bound the interior abyss of this singular
country; the gulf in which both water and mountain seem to be as
nothing. Mount Exmouth seems principally composed of iron-stone; and
some of the richest ore I had yet seen was found upon it.
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