have its colony. This expedition was said to have conferred the greatest benefits on the colony since Mr. A. C. Gregory opened up the northern districts. Mr. Trigg regarded the country about Mount Murchison as auriferous.
Further important explorations were made in 1858 by Mr. F. T. Gregory. Under him were Mr. James B. Roe (second in command), and Messrs. W. Moore, C. Nairn, — Dugel, and an aboriginal policeman. The Government contributed the services of Mr. Gregory and his chainman, besides three horses, instruments, tents, and pack saddles; settlers (chiefly Messrs. W. and L. Burges, Padbury, Wellard, and D. McPherson), supplied funds and horses. The party succeeded in drawing attention to considerable areas of land north of the Murchison, and on the Gascoyne River. From Mount Murchison, which was left on the 26th April, the explorers traversed country not before visited by Europeans. A "very beautiful convolvulus" was found beyond the mount, bearing roots like the sweet potato, often a pound in weight, and well flavoured. These roots formed a useful article of diet to the natives. After following the course of the river some distance, Gregory took a more northerly course over open plains of saltbush, samphire, and acacia. This particular country trended to the Murchison, several tributaries of which, separated by gravelly ridges, were crossed. Vegetation was scarce, although ample feed was found for the horses along the small streams. A few miles from a Murchison tributary, he struck the Gascoyne River on 4th May. The men followed its course north-west, and the further they went the wider the river became. On the south bank was abundance of grass and flooded gum trees, which, however, did not seem to run far back. Rich flats, three or four miles wide, were occasionally surveyed, but towards the coast the quality of land deteriorated. After examining the mouth, they returned inland again, this time on the northern levels, and when eighty miles from the ocean (on 24th May) discovered and named a tributary river—the Lyons. Then going northerly over well-grassed patches on the banks, with poor country on either side, they reached and christened the Alma River, in the Ashburton district, and Mount Augustus, 3,300 feet high. The view from the summit of this hill disclosed what appeared an excellent description of country.
From Mount Augustus the explorers went south-east until they regained the Gascoyne. The intervening country was stony, and only sparsely grassed. Then S.S.E. they reached a tributary of the Murchison, passed Mount Gould and Mount Hale, and a succession of rich grassy flats. In the westward they named Mount Nairn, whence they followed the Murchison to Geraldine. They reported that the country was well watered, and contained "a network of rivers," emptying into the Murchison or the Gascoyne. They estimated the quantity of good land surveyed at 1,000,000 acres, the best of which was about 300 miles from the settled districts, with sufficient feed for stock in the intervening tracts. On the Gascoyne natives were numerous, and slightly troublesome. Once they were dispersed with a load of bird-shot fired among them; once the explorers chased them on horseback. This particular tribe followed them some distance, apparently to warn other blacks not to approach the explorers. The remains of a cannibal feast were examined at Mount Augustus. Fish resembling a trumpeter, and weighing 1½ lb. each, were found in the Lyons River. Perth was reached on the 10th July, after a journey of nearly 2,000 miles, accomplished in 107 days. The total cash expenditure did not exceed £40. Mr. Gregory advised in his report that this country should be examined, at another period of the year, when the conditions might not be so favourable. Numbers of features in the Gascoyne division were named. The Legislative Council recorded a vote of thanks to Mr. Gregory and his companions.
Exploration in the north-west districts was then discontinued for a time, and private parties began to go out into the east. The country was known to about eighty miles east of Northam. The agricultural societies encouraged these trips, and farmers and pastoralists were anxious to discover new country where they might send their stock. Several journeys were made in 1860. During the previous few years settlement had been pushed further out. Mr. Wm. M. Parker had removed to Mount Stirling, and Mr. Ed. Reed Parker to Danjin, about twenty miles south-west of the same point. Each gentleman had been enterprising. Mr. J. Taylor was also near them on these outposts of settlement. It was believed that eastwards impenetrable thickets refused passage to explorers, principally because Lieutenant Roe had been turned out of his course to Cape Riche, and others to the northern "interior," by such barriers. The desire to acquire possible rich runs was, however, not easily dismissed.
Messrs. E. and A. Dempster, A. W. Chitty, and two natives left Northam on 26th June, 1860, and made, says the report, "a quick run of 118 miles into the interior" to Wittock Hill. The country was composed of sand plains studded with thickets, and forests mostly of dead wood. It was often difficult to get water, but by ingenuity they succeeded in finding native wells and rock reservoirs. At Codgecoding were some 500 acres of good pasture set prettily in the desolation around. Intermixed with the grass was the poison plant. On 2nd July they passed over the beds of dry lakes, some containing gypsum in large quantities, others with a fine white powder in the bottom. From the top of a high hill they described a low marshy country, destitute of feed, meeting the horizon in the east. On the return journey they saw some good feeding ground at Nalyering.
Mr. E. Lennard and others proceeded in the same direction a few weeks later. At Nalyering, supposed to be about 90 miles E.N.E. of Beverley, Mr. Lennard reported finding what was termed a "splendid run" of 10,000 acres, where the grass was in places three feet high. Messrs. Chas. and Wm. Smith, of Beverley, also exploited the eastern bush, and chose a run some 100 miles from York. This spot bore signs of having been overrun with horses at some previous time, and natives confessed to having speared animals there. The same blacks led the Messrs. Smith to believe that there was splendid country 200 miles in the interior.
