April, 1848, Mr. Wilson, who had interested himself largely in the matter, proceeded to Madras in order to form a company to export Western Australian timber, but he was compelled to relinquish his scheme. Later in the year, the prospectus of a Timber Company was issued in Perth without avail. The proposals of the projectors were too large for local capital. They asked for £50,000, in 2,000 shares of £25 each. Finally, in October, a company was formed. It was proposed at a public meeting to float a company, to consist of 20 shares of £50 each. Nearly all the shares were subscribed for before the gathering dispersed. Messrs. D. Scott, Bland, G. Shenton, Helms, and Samson were appointed a committee of control, but the concern was short-lived. The export of hardwoods in 1848 only amounted to £333.
In 1848, Mr. Prinsep introduced a few horses from Tasmania for his horse-rearing estate near Bunbury. An effort was made early in the year to form a Vineyard Company, with a capital of £5,000, but failed. Arguments were adduced by a select committee of the Vineyard Society in favour of distillation from vine products, which was prohibited; prohibition, the report said, discouraged what might become a large industry. The Pelsart Fishing Company began the exploitation of the Pelsart Islands late in 1847. As its boats went to the grounds at the time of year when contrary winds prevented fishing operations they were able to do little until 1848. In that year they made some remarkably good catches. Mining was for a time persevered in with laudable determination, but the hopes of obtaining copper mines gradually diminished, and the shafts sunk for coal disclosed little that was encouraging. Metal was conveyed to Perth in 1847 from Kelmscott which was said to be copper, but shaft-sinking made but slow progress. There was general dissatisfaction among shareholders at the way the work was carried out, which was accentuated when in December, 1847, a call of 1s. per share was declared. The principal shaft on the Murray was closed owing to the workers reaching quicksand. Stone sent from Kelmscott to South Australia in 1848 was declared by authorities there to contain copper. Other likely metals were sent from the colony to be assayed. A labourer announced the discovery of copper on the property of Mr. Hardey, near York.
The expectations of getting payable coal on the Murray diminished, and Dr. Von Sommer was sent to various parts of the colony in search of the mineral. He visited the locality of the find of Gregory brothers, and made an encouraging report thereon, and in December, 1847, proceeded with Mr. Bland to the east of King George's Sound as far as Mount Barren Range. He found indications of coal near Cape Riche, and advised that an expedition be sent. Lieutenant Roe went to the southeast, and announced the discovery of promising coal beds on two rivers which he named the Fitzgerald and Phillips. An expedition to the Bowes River in the north-west, led by Mr. A. Gregory, observed, it was reported, indications of coal. Dr. Sommer prepared a geological map of Western Australia stretching from the Abrolhos Islands in the north-west to Doubtful Island Bay in the south-east.
A bill passed the Legislative Council in 1848 providing for the taking of a Government census. This disclosed that there were 4,622 persons in the colony in October, 1848, made up of 2,818 males and 1,804 females. There were 2,900 adults. The numbers of stock were 141,123 sheep, 2,095 horses, 10,919 horned cattle, 1,431 goats, and 2,287 swine. The acreage in wheat was 3,316¾, barley 672, oats 133¾, rye 100¼, maize 38¾, potatoes 120¼, vineyards 114, oliveyards 10, kitchen gardens 244, and green crops 2,320¾.
Mail communication was improved, both internally and with Great Britain. So serious had been the inconvenience caused to colonists by an irregular mail service, that in June, 1844, a memorial was presented to Governor Hutt, asking him to urge the Imperial Government to facilitate mail communication. A second memorial was presented in June, 1845. In August a bill was introduced, and subsequently passed, providing for a better mail service in the colony. In 1848 a despatch was received from Downing Street announcing that the Secretary for the Colonies was willing to make arrangements for a monthly service between England and Western Australia via Singapore. In July, 1847, Mr. A. Helmich was gazetted Postmaster-General.
To revert to topics apart from political policy and the growth of industry, some severe storms, experienced in 1843 and following years, must be noted. In April, 1843, the heaviest storm, probably, since the origin of the colony came from the north-west. Several vessels were driven ashore along the coast, and narrow escapes were experienced in Melville Water. A boisterous gale raged for several days at Koombanah Bay, Bunbury, in November of the same year. The schooner Elizabeth was wrecked, and valuable cargo lost. Numerous accidents to shipping took place at Fremantle from one cause and another. In June, 1844, the American whaler Cervantes was wrecked on a rock in Jurien Bay. The sailors, after a trying walk, reached Fremantle in safety. On the night of 24th February, 1845, a tremendous gale drove two vessels, the Halifax Packet and the whaler Merope, ashore at Fremantle. One life was lost. Heavy rains at Albany in 1846 did serious damage. In August of the same year floods caused loss among the gardens on the Swan, and damaged property at York, Northam, and Toodyay.
Fires were numerous. On 12th September, 1845, the steam flour mills of Mr. S. Moore, situated at Guildford, were burnt, and several tons of flour destroyed.
The power of steam for propelling ships was now established, and Western Australians apparently did not wish to be behind the times. In 1844 a deputation idly and vainly asked Governor Hutt to establish a steam ship service between England and the colony. When a steam vessel did happen to approach Western Australian shores, an amusing incident took place. In December, 1845, H.M. steam sloop Driver put into Fremantle in order to effect some necessary repairs. The man on the look-out at Arthur Head, observing her, gave the alarm of a ship on fire. Nearly all the people of Fremantle rushed excitedly to the beach. Their surprise was great when they found it to be a steamer, and with admiration and wonder they examined the object. A prospectus was issued on 21st August, 1847, of a company to establish steam communication on the Swan River between Fremantle and Perth. The capital was set down as £1,000, in two hundred £5 shares, but few subscribers came forward.
Some interest was excited by the arrival in March, 1846, of Captain Twiss (Royal Engineers), who advised on suitable sites at Fremantle to erect a five-gun battery and magazines for defence purposes.
The native question almost disappeared from serious politics. Beyond numerous eases of thieving, and one or two murders no
