Of The E

nd a half months were occupied in travelling, during which we traversed a little over three thousand miles. Of this, 550

G SOURCES OF

TURN JOURNEYS BETWEEN T

er Nearly D

a, Empress, and A

et, Mary, Margaret, and Sturt in Ki

-pan

ols in g

e 4 were completely drain

ese 6 were completely dra

ll dry waterco

pools in rocky g

two in the

ACTER AND EXTENT O

Return Journey

ntry including low sandhills, spinifex plain. Desert

Lagoon to edg

urt Creek to G

3

70 Undulating Desert of spinifex, ston

-holes to Wood

8

of sand blown into parallel ridges running on an average c

ills to Deep

7

sert, including open scrubs with grass, open grass plains, belt

nnerman to Ha

eek to end of

desert to L

, Woodhouse Lagoon,

7

ountry unmapped except where routes

oads and

ound numbers, taking int

ferous country may be found, though nothing that we saw proves this to be likely; and I base my opinion only on the facts that quartz and ironstone are known to occur in the vicinity of Lake Augusta and the Warburton Range. It is also possible (and

f a stock route from oasis to oasis, I can see no use

ore than nine camels from dying for want of a drink-every well that we found, with the exception of one or two, was drained and left empty. Indeed on our two journeys there are only two watering-places on which I should care to depend, viz., the Empress Spring and Helena Spring. Throughout our journey we never once found water by chance-though chance took us to more than one dry hole-but found it only by systematic and patient work, involving many scores of miles of tracking, the capture of the wild aboriginals, and endless hours of manual labour. Without having resorted to these expedients I have no hesitation

ght; where the country was previously unknown it has proved only its nakedness; nevertheless I do not regret one penny of the cost or one minute of the troubles and labours entailed by it. Nor, I am confident, do my companions repine because they wasted so many months of their lives in such a howling wilderness. May good fortune attend them wherever they go; for they were brave and true men, and to them I once more express my

as the breaking up of our little band, and the sale of my faithful animals. However, it was a matter of necessity, for much as I wished to pension

, together with all information I had gathered, I placed at the disposal of the Government, for which they were pleased to express many thanks. At a gathering in the Perth

of that desolate region. Such an expedition might be undertaken for pleasure, but this I should not recommend, for few countries present such difficulties of travel or such monotony of scenery or occupation. Although I am leaving this country, probably for good, I would not wish it to be thought that I have no faith in it, for the late developments and marvellous returns from the goldfields should convert the most sceptical. Nor have the other sources of wealth to the Colony failed to impress their importance on me... Every one is glad to return to his home, and I am no exception; but however happy I am at the prospect

PE

od that my experiences relate solely to the interior and to that part of the interior the borders of which can only be reached by a j

of so much of it, there still remain many thousand square miles

reverse of that I have been compelled

settlement at King George's Sound. Three years later a settlement was established on the banks of the Swan River. From this modest beginning the progress of the settlement, which at first was slow in the extreme, came with a rush on the discovery of gold. The populati

constructed during the past six years. Of these 1,200 miles, 923 belong to the State and the balance to a private company, whose line runs from Perth, along the coast northward, to the port of Geraldton. But though lines have been laid from Perth to Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, and Cue, settlers are breaking

of 5,000,000, and over a quarter of a million of postcards, and 1,000,000 telegrams were dispatched in one year, although the Postal Department all over the Colony is shockingly managed. There are no less than 5,429 miles of telegraph line open. The rapid increase displayed in these figur

hat gold would only be found in superficial deposits. This supposition has now bee

capitalisation and want of proper management have had their customary ill-effects upon the industry, yet the undoubt

other and substantial sources of revenue in lead, copper, tin, coal, a

led to the abandonment of the mines. Since, however, the discovery of telluride ores at Kalgoorlie the abandoned lead and copper mines have recovered their old value, and many mining leases have quite recently been taken out in the Northampton district for the purpose of working them, and after the preliminary work of emptying the

llings per ton. The field is open to private enterprise, and as the land may be leas

isafforesting of districts has been for agricultural and other purposes recklessly proceeded with. Warned by example, the West Australian Government have taken steps for the preservation and utilisation of their valuable forest-lands. In 1895 Mr. J. Ednie-Brown was engaged by the Bureau of Agriculture to make a tour of inspection

rests lie in the South-West

wn to be of real commercial value, I shall confine my remarks to the better known and more widely used species. These are: Jar

uminata), Badjong (Acacia microbotrya), Peppermint Tree (Agonis flexuosa), Banksias of all sorts-the Sheoaks (Casuarina Fras

of some value, but the fo

regions of Western Australia covers no

8,000,0

1,20

200,

7,000

Sandalwood, and

-

400

et in diameter, running 50 to 60 feet to the first branch. There are, of course, very many larger individual specimens. The wood is red in colour, polishes well and works easily, and weighs when seasoned about 63 lbs. to the cubic foot. It is ex

height of 3 or 4 feet from the ground, and the first branch generally occurs at a height of 120 to 150 feet from the base. This tree does not occur in such numbers as the Jarrah, its field of growth being limited. Its timber resembles that of

46: A Karri

t 40 feet to the first branch. Its timber is extraordinarily hard and tough and difficult to split. It is of great value as bridge supports, do

ibuted over the Colony. Formerly there was a greater trade in sandalwood than now; but th

of its wood, which is exactly that of the raspberry. An oil is extracted from the wo

Gum, the Wandoo, and York G

for 1895 was 130,000 loads, repr

able portion of its wealth, and afford employment to large numbers of

he South-Western districts to a great extent-the soil, the cl

s, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries

l ranges are admirably adapted for the culture of the vine, and the chief varieties grown are those most suitable for wine-making and for the table. Chasselas Doradillo, Whit

imberley district. The Nor'-West, however, labours under the disadvantage of drought on the one hand and floods on the other. There are several regulations governing land tenure, and when the emigrant has made a selection of the land suitable for his purpose (and in this

upporting a large pastoral and agricultural population; and, as prices rule high, doubtless a

and the matter has "come into official consideration"; and it is to be hoped that Government will take steps to foster this lucrative pursuit, the centres of which are at Shark's Bay, about two hundred miles North of Geraldton, and at Broome, yet

earl Shell Station,

r interior of the Colony is worthless for any purpose, yet I have also shown that beyond the borders of the desert Nature smi