would become one of the most important branches of industry.
During the time that Miago was on board we took great pains to wean him from his natural propensity for the savage life by instilling such information as his untutored mind was capable of receiving, and from his often-expressed resolutions we were led to hope a cure had been effected; great was our disappointment then on finding that in less than a fortnight after our arrival, he had resumed his original wildness, and was again to be numbered amongst the native inhabitants of the bush. To us he had been the source of great mirth, by the absurd anecdotes he sometimes related about his countrymen. His account of their conjectures respecting the arrival of the first settlers may amuse the reader; he said, "the ships were supposed to be trees, and the cattle large dogs (the only animal besides the kangaroo known to them) whose size and horns excited such alarm, that one which strayed into the bush being met by a party of natives made them climb up the nearest trees in the greatest terror."
STATE OF THE COLONY.
It may give some definite idea of the neglected state of this infant colony, to mention that during the entire period of our absence--a space of six months--there had been but one arrival there, and that not from England. The solitary visitor was H.M.S. Pelorus from the Indian station. The want of communication with the mother country was beginning to be felt severely, and in matters of graver moment than mere news. Many necessary articles of home manufacture or importation, scarcely valued till wanted, were now becoming almost unattainable: one familiar instance will illustrate at once how this state of things presses upon the comfort of the colonists; the price of yellow soap had risen to four shillings per pound!
OWEN'S ANCHORAGE.
The usual winter anchorage in Cockburn Sound, being seven miles from the town of Fremantle, the colonists were naturally very anxious to see tested the equal security of one which we had chosen within half that distance. The point was fairly tried, and very satisfactorily determined during the heavy weather which we experienced on the 31st of March, and 11th of June, which did not raise more sea than a boat at anchor could have ridden out with safety. These gales lasted about forty-eight hours each, commencing at North by West and gradually blowing themselves out at West-South-West. In each instance a heavy bank of clouds in the north-west gave us a day's notice of their approach. The indications of the barometer were less decisive; its maximum was 29.3.
The weather in the interval between these gales was wet and unsettled; but afterwards, until our departure, it continued remarkably fine with an average temperature of 60 degrees.
The winds at this season prevail from the land, the seabreezes being both light and very irregular.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLONY.
We were just in time to share in the annual festivities with which the inhabitants celebrate the formation of the colony. Horseracing, and many other old English sports showed that the colonists still retain the tastes and habits of home. Some of the aborigines took part in the amusements of the day with evident enjoyment: and we were surprised to find that in throwing the spear they were excelled by an English competitor. We hardly know how to reconcile this fact with our own favourite theories upon the perfection of the savage in the few exercises of skill to which he devotes his attention, and were obliged to take refuge in the inadequate suggestion that the wild man requires a greater degree of excitement than his more civilised competitor, to bring out, or call into action, all the resources of his art. Among the natives assembled were a small party from King George's Sound: they had come to Perth, bearing despatches from that place. The good understanding which appeared to exist between them and their fellow-countrymen in this district, led me to believe that by bringing different tribes more frequently together, under similar happy auspices to those which convened the meeting of to-day, much might be done to qualify the eager and deadly hatred in which they are too prone to indulge.
The natives in the town of Perth are most notorious beggars: the softer sex ply this easy craft even more indefatigably than the men. Their flattering solicitations and undeniable importunity seldom altogether fail of success, and "quibra (i.e. ship) man," after the assurance that he is a "very pretty gentleman," must perforce yield to the solicitation "tickpence give it um me."
There was one amongst them, who from some accident had lost several of his toes. When in conversation, if he fancied any person was observing his foot, he would immediately endeavour to conceal the part that was thus disfigured by burying it in the sand. Another instance, exemplifying how prevalent is the frailty of vanity in the heart of man in his primitive condition.
VISIT YORK.
As a little time was required to give the ship a slight refit and the crew some relaxation, it afforded an opportunity of visiting York, situated about sixty miles east from Perth, and at that extremity of the colony. Accordingly, one murky afternoon a small party of us were wending our way over the Darling Range. Long after dark the welcome bark of dogs rang through the forest in the still dark night, assuring us that shelter was at hand, and we soon found ourselves before a large fire in the only house on the road, enjoying, after a dreary wet ride, the usual fare at that time at the out-stations--fried pork and kangaroo. About this tenement was the only spot of land along the whole line of road that could at all lay claim to anything like fertility; at which I was the more surprised, as our route intercepted the direction in which patches of good land are generally found in this part of the continent. The soil of this little piece was of a rich black mould and well watered by a neighbouring spring. Our road lay in some places over tracts of loose white sand, and in others round and over low ironstone hills. Descending from one of these heights to a rich narrow flat, the presence of three or four houses informed us we were within the township of York. The position of the level it occupies forms the western bank of the river Avon, which is now and has been for some time past nothing more than a chain of waterholes. In this neighbourhood the hills lie detached from one another in irregular directions, and are composed of granite; from the summit of one on the western side of the town we looked over a vast expanse of undulating forest land, densely wooded, with scarcely a grassy patch to break the monotony of the view. To give an idea of the personal labour early settlers are obliged to undergo, I may mention that we found Mr. Bland, the most wealthy colonist in Western Australia, engaged in holding the plough. I was disappointed in my visit to this part of the country as it did not leave a favourable impression of its fertility--still it afforded me an opportunity of judging by comparison of the quality of the soils in Western Australia and on the banks of the Fitzroy, and I was happy to find I had not overrated the latter.
The odium of a recent murder in the vicinity committed by natives had led to their absenting themselves just now from York, but a few of their numbers too young for suspicion were employed in the capacity of servants and appeared sharp and intelligent lads.
SAIL FROM SWAN RIVER.
On the 20th of June we took leave of our friends in Western Australia, proceeding out of Owen's anchorage by a passage recommended by the Harbour-Master, in which we found half a fathom less water than the one through which we entered. During our stay there, nothing could exceed the kindness with which we were welcomed, and we experienced that proverbial hospitality of colonists which in this instance we shall ever remember with feelings of the most sincere and heart-felt pleasure.
It may appear out of place inserting it here but on our first arrival at Swan River in November last, we saw the Aurora Australis very bright.
At midnight of the 23rd of June we passed Cape Leeuwin, the south-western extremity of the continent; named by the first discoverer in 1622, Landt van de Leeuwin or the land of Lions. The wind which had increased since the morning to a fresh gale from the northward, now suddenly veered round to the westward, accompanied with rain and causing a high cross-sea.
GALE OFF CAPE LEEUWIN.
These sudden shifts of wind frequently raise a very dangerous sea off Cape Leeuwin.* This made the third gale we had experienced since the 30th of May, and is recorded here from its commencing at North-East instead of at north, the usual point at which gales in these regions begin. During the stormy weather which prevailed throughout the passage, we were unceasingly attended by those majestic birds and monarchs of the ocean--the White Albatross (Diomedia exulans) which with steadily expanded wings sailed gracefully