DEPARTURE FROM PERTH.

The Adur, chartered by the Government, was a vessel of thirty tons, owned
by Mr. Gabriel Adams. It gives me much pleasure to express my thanks to
him and to Mr. Waugh, the master, and to the crew of the vessel, for the
important services they performed, and the zeal they exhibited in
rendering me assistance, not only on board the vessel, but also on shore.

We started from Perth on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 30th of March,
1870. His Excellency the Governor accompanied us for about three miles on
the Albany Road. We had fifteen horses, and provisions sufficient for the
journey to Esperance Bay, a distance of about 450 miles, where, it was
arranged, further supplies would await us. By the 5th of April we had
reached Kojonup, travelling in a north-easterly direction, and then
rested four days, leaving for Jerramungup on the 9th, and reaching it on
the 13th. Our first day's journey brought us to Mr. Graham's homestead,
near which we bivouacked; thence our route lay in an easterly direction,
at first through good grassy country with jam and white gum trees and
shea oaks, by way of Etticup, Martinup (where we bivouacked on the night
of the 10th), and Nigalup, beyond which were scrubby sand-plains
extending southwards towards the Stirling range. On the following night
we camped near some granite rocks. The next day's journey extended to
Koorarkup, where we again rested. Our rate of travel was from twenty to
twenty-five miles a day, and already we began to experience inconvenience
from want of water. A little stream, the Pallinup, was salt, and there
were salt pools on the route between our last camping-place and
Koorarkup, where we were now resting.

Around Jerramungup was rich grassy country, but beyond it we passed over
scrubby undulating plains for about sixteen miles, camping, on the night