Part 30 (1/2)
At Newcastle ere received under a triumphal arch, and the Chairman presented us with an address We were then conducted to a sumptuous banquet Near the conclusion, the Chairratified us by speaking disparagingly of us and our journey; he said he didn't see anted to come over here for, that they had plenty of explorers of their own, etc This was so a hostile native's spear stuck into one's body, and certainly a fine tonic after the chaainst these remarks I made a short reply; Mr Tietkens put a little humour into his, and all coolness wore away, especially when Toreat favourite with the ”General,” and ell looked after during the repast When we had all said our say, Toed to speak; he was very bashful, and said, ”I don't knohat to say;” the people near hi;” so he rose in his seat and sihed, and joviality was restored In the evening a ball took place in our honour; the old Chair Never after did we hear anything but coainst the sense of the whole Colony The next toe arrived at was Guildford; on the road the caravan passed by a splitters' camp, the men there came round the camels, and as usual stared wide-eyed with a the camels, to wait till a ht see theed so that we should reach Perth by a certain time, this could not be done, and the ca up as near as his horse would come to the camels, and called out: ”Hi there, hold on, youwretches; do you think I'd a galloped after yer ter see such littlethings as theer nor ahorse [there were caht they was as big asclouds, or else I'd never a come all thisway to see them,” etc He interspersed this address with htest notice of hi as he went, and for an uneducated, unscientific West Australian, his, was not a bad effort at profanity
(ILlustRATION: ARRIVAL AT PERTH)
(ILlustRATION: ARRIVAL AT THE TOWN HALL, PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA)
At Guildford, a town-site on the Sere publicly received by the Mayor, Mr Spurling, the Town Council, various bodies and lodges, and a detachment of volunteers We were presented with addresses fro made a most handsome speech, which removed any rees of Oddfellows and Good Templars also presented us with addresses The Chairman of the latter made a little Good Tereat feat entirely on water To this I replied, that it was true we had accomplished our journey on water, and very little of it, but that if we had had anything stronger we should certainly have drunk it, if only to er Then a banquet was spread, which was attended also by ladies, and was awound up with a ball Guildford being only ten or eleven miles from Perth, at about three p our caular desert- and driving, to meet us, and escorted us into the city; Mr Forrest was now on horseback and riding alongside of es the Se soon reached the city bounds, and were e Shenton, and the other members of the City Council, companies of volunteers lined the streets on either side, and the various bodies of Freemasons, Oddfellows, and Good Templars, accompanied by the brass band of the latter, took a part in the procession A great crowd of citizens assembled, and the balconies of the houses on both sides were thronged with the fair sex, and garlands of floere showered down upon us The streets of the city were decorated with flags and streamers, and scrolls of welco to the Town Hall a We were ushered into the spacious hall, and placed on a raised platforentleistic terms, and presented rossed, on behalf of the corporation and citizens of Perth, congratulating myself, and party on our successful exploration across the unknown interior fros of welcome entertained by the citizens towards us
After this a round of festivities set in; a these were a public banquet and ball in our honour by the Mayor and Corporation of the city of Perth and a dinner and ball at Government House A public reception also awaited us at Freh, wooden structure that spans the broad er crowds Mr Forrest rode near reat deal of trouble to induceFremantle she fairly jibbed, and I had to walk and lead her, so that I was hidden in the crowd, and Mr Tietkens, co next to ht The balconies and verandahs here were also thronged with ladies, who showered down heaps of garlands while they cheered I was completely hidden, and they threw all the flowers down on Tietkens, so that he got all the honour from the ladies Here another beautiful address was presented to me by Mr John Thomas, the Chairiven us On returning to Perth, we had invitations fro and riding parties, and the wife of the Honourable O'Grady Lefroy started the ball giving iave us a dinner at the Weld Club
Since our arrival in the settled parts of Western Australia, we have had every reason to believe that our welcoreatest kindness and courtesy
His Excellency the Governor ordered that all our expenses down the country, from where Mr Forrestbeen so welcomed by the settlers on our arrival at each place, I had no occasion to expend a penny on our h the settled districts of the Colony
In concluding the tale of a long exploration, a few re the expedition, in covering the ground, 2500 miles; but unfortunately found no areas of country suitable for settlereat disappointment to me, as I had expected far otherwise; but the explorer does not make the country, he must take it as he finds it His duty is to penetrate it, and although the greatest honour is awarded and the greatest recoions, yet itthose regions cannot be nearly so great as those encountered by the less fortunate traveller who finds himself surrounded by heartless deserts The successful penetration of such a region must, nevertheless, have its value, both in a coraphical sense, as it points out to the future erant or settler, those portions of our continent which he should rigorously avoid It never could have entered into any one's calculations that I should have to force ion that rolls its scrub-enthroned, and fearful distance out, for hundreds of leagues in billowy undulations, like the waves of a timbered sea, and that the expedition would have to bore its way, like h these inter to view, and less to cheer Our success has traced a long and a dreary road through this unpeopled waste, like that to a lion's abode, from whence no steps are retraced The caravan foron, under those trees hich it has pleased Providence to bedeck this desolate waste But this expedition, as organised, equipped, and intended by Sir Tho of such excellence and precision, itapparently by mechanical action; and it seehtful deserts by its power, like playing upon some new fine instrument, as andered, like ru West,”--
”From where the Torrens wanders, 'Midst corn and vines and flowers, To where fair Perth still lifts to heaven Her diadem of towers”
The labours of the expedition ended only at the sea at Fre under those trees for reeted at last by old Ocean's roar; Ocean, the strongest of creation's sons, ”that rolls the wild, profound, eternal bass in Nature's anthe, except for occasional outbursts of temper, and all the other ive me satisfaction; and when I say that the personnel of the expedition behaved as well as the careater praise
It will readily be believed that I did not undertake a fourth expedition in Australia without a motive Sir Thomas Elder had ever been kind to me since I had known hi ; but there were others also I wished to please; and I have done my best endeavours upon this arduous expedition, with the hope that I ht ”win the wise, who frowned before to smile at last”
BOOK 5
CHAPTER 51 FROM 18TH NOVEMBER, 1875, TO 10TH APRIL, 1876
Remarks on the last expedition
Departure of my two officers
Expedition leaves Perth
Invited to York
Curiosity to see the caravan
Saleh and Tomain
A pair of watch(ful) guards
St Joseph's
Messrs Clunes
The Benedictineincident
A new road
Berkshi+re Valley
Triumphal arch
Sandal-wood
Sheep poison
Cornaarra
An address presented
A French gentleh Flats
Another address
Tommy's tricks