WESTERN AUSTRALIA, in its widest sense, extends over the western portion of the Australian continent, and comprehends all the countries lying west of 132° E. long., the boundary west of South Australia and North Australia ; so that the boundary-line between it and the other parts of the continent joins the Indian Ocean east of Cambridge Gulf, and the Southern Sea near the Australian Bight, at Cape Adieu. Thus Western Australia contains about one-fourth of the whole continent, and lies between 35° and 14° S. lat., 115° and 132° E. long. The limits of the British colony, originally established under the name of the Swan River Settlement, are much less, but the boundary has not been definitely settled, and is constantly being extended. It may be said to lie between 30° and 35° 8' S. lat., 115° and 119' E. long., or about 400 miles from south to north, and about 250 miles in breadth.
Coast.—The coast-lino presents a much greater variety than most other parts of Australia. In some parts the sea to some distance from the shore is covered with numerous islands, islets, and rocks, which render these countries difficult of access. From this cause an extent of coast-line, about 500 miles in length, has not been surveyed. Tasman Land, between Point Ganthenumo and Cambridge Bay, to the northward, has a coast more broken than any other part of Australia, and indented with wide bays, and some narrow inlets, which penetrate a considerable distance into the interior. The coast of Tasman Land has been but slightly examined, so that our information in respect of the natural products of the country is very limited. Within the confines of the colony there are numerous sestuaries, each of which receives several rivers. Of the few good harbours along this coast the best are Rockingham in Cockburn Sound, Albany in Xing George's Sound, Bunbury in Port Leacher:Iseult, and Augusta, near Cape Leouwin, on the southern side of the south-western promontory of the island. At the mouth of the Swan River, and at the head of the Melville Water, which runs inland for nearly SO miles, is the port of Perth, the capital of the colony of Western Australia. The entrance
is encumbered and rendered dangerous by several rocks. A light house is placed on Rottenest Island at the entrance, and on some of the more dangerous rocks there are beacons.
Mountains, eke. —A range called the Darling Mountains extends along nearly the whole length of the colony. Its distance from the coast varies from 50 to 150 miles, and its height is from 800 to 3000 feet. It is generally sterile; the granite appears in some places in masses. A profusion of coarse herbage appears on the surface, and plants which resemble the English heath grow in considerable numbers. There are forests of large mahogany and blue gum-trees. In the Darling Mountains have been found roofing-slate, limestone, marl, selenite, siliceous and calcareous petrifactious, magnetic iron-ore, chromate of lead, galena, and copper. Wide valleys bordered by fertile plains occur where basaltic rocks are developed. Columnar basalt is found around Geogmphe Bay, and from thence to Shark Bay a band of coal has been traced a distance of 600 miles.
In that part of Western Australia which borders on the south coast, there are three distinct parallel ranges of mountains running from north to south. The highest and most eastern of these has its southern termination near to King George's Sound, in 35° 6' S. lat. The second terminates at Cape Chatham, 35° S. lat.; Cape Leeuwiu, in about 34' 20' S. lat., is the southern termination of the third range, which is inferior in altitude, as well as in extent, to the other two: it terminates on the north at Cape Naturaliste, 33' 27' S. lat. The highest point is Tulbanop, which is stated to attain an elevation of Lo00 feet. On the mountains and higher hills the surface is rugged and stony ; on tho lower sides of both the soil is excellent ; but in the principal valleys and the lower grounds, where the sandstone forma tion prevails, it is of a very inferior description, except where the rivers have brought down an alluvial deposit.