Page:Handbook of Western Australia.djvu/19

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The West Coast.
9

Grey, by the advice of Sir William Nicolay, then Governor of Mauritius, had come to the Swan River to re-organise his party for farther exploration on the North coast; but as it was supposed that the main drainage of the interior would prove to be to the West, the rivers of the North coast being apparently of sufficient magnitude, and the limits of the basin of the Glenelg being known, he went by sea to Sharks Bay, into which a considerable river had been reported to flow from the East, and was landed with three whale boats and stores on Bernier island, where he made his dépot, and from thence proceeded across the bay, and after much danger and difficulty, succeeded in tracing its Eastern shore and entering the mouth of the Gascoigne River; but returning to his dépot one of his boats was broken up, the others shattered, and his stores destroyed in a violent storm, so that he was obliged to attempt to return to Swan River by sea in two boats, now unfit for service, and with a very insufficient stock of provisions. Attempting to land near the South of Gantheaume bay, his boats were destroyed in the surf on the beach, and it only remained to reach, if possible, the Swan River, on foot. In this terrible journey the party separated, but Grey and a faithful native named Kaibor, having reached Perth, sent back assistance to the rest, who, with the exception of Frederick Smith, a young volunteer who had attached himself to Grey, and Mr. Walker the surgeon, who had reached Fremantle unassisted, were picked up by a party sent to their relief under the Surveyor General. Smith died of exhaustion near the small river which bears his name, after having shown himself, by his courage and patient endurance of hardship and famine, worthy of his cousin Florence Nightingale. In this journey of nearly 300 miles, Grey discovered and passed over all the rivers of the West coast,