Page:History of West Australia.djvu/63

 Rh Melville Water, and concluded their explorations that day. This expedition travelled over about 100 miles of country, but saw no natives, merely a few of their "wigwams."

Captain Irwin had by this time established comfortable quarters for his detachment at the mouth of the Swan, and there he was most hospitable to the pioneers who from time to time called upon him. He was taking as much interest in the movements of Stirling's band as any member of it, and intended becoming an agriculturist himself, and when the assignments were made received a rich grant of land in a suitable location. Throughout the whole course of his heavy labours Captain Stirling carefully conducted the affairs of State. Some of the civil officers who had accompanied him intended to combine with their duties those of the settler. They brought to the colony stock upon which they were to receive their grants. Some of them, however, had not taken this course, and so as to enable them to fare as well as the others, on the 8th June Governor Stirling issued an order that by a special allowance they could select land up to 2640 acres upon the guarantee "on their honour" that they would import the proportionate amount of stock and goods before the end of the year. This liberal concession was taken advantage of, and at every opportunity the civil officers inspected the country on the river, and when they selected a site which suited their purposes, made application to the authorities for a grant. Excursions were made almost daily up and down the river and among the woods on either bank when their quarters had been for the time completed. This was a much more congenial occupation than that they had heretofore negotiated. There was something cheerful in the liberty given them of exploring the woodlands for a fertile spot where, surrounded by no mean natural beauty, they might build an Australian home and finally perhaps surround themselves with sleek flocks and herds, and productive gardens.

Thus the month of June passed, and Captain Stirling gave instructions that the instruments and other articles of the officials should be delivered them by the storekeeper, and also wrote out a list of names of those who were to be victualled by the Government. His own name appears in this list, and rations for two were set down for him, which a few weeks later were increased to four. It was a month that was never forgotten by the colonists from the Parmelia. They had so much work to do, and were surrounded by such singularly unique conditions, that each required the strength of many men to show any substantial advance. The forlornness of their position was somewhat lessened when the initial difficulties were surmounted, and the sites for their future residences were determined on. And when it was possible to take their families from Garden Island, and install them in huts or tents, at Fremantle or Perth, the position was rendered still more bearable. It needs little imagination to picture them in their camp on the slopes of the Swan. On every side were woodlands extending to the horizon, and they found interest in listening to the notes of Australian birds, and in watching the movements of the blacks, who occasionally were courageous enough to approach and scrutinise them. Morning and evening the musical notes of the magpie made the woods resound, and at night the weird wail of the curlew came out of the distance, as from a human being in lamentation. By day they saw the black swan move slowly over the river, followed the noisy flight of game above them, and sometimes observed the natives with spear in hand rushing about in the shallow waters, and, while the spray dashed round them, spear the fleeing fish. Truly, they felt themselves in a new world.

Throughout July, one of the coldest, most unattractive months in the West Australian year, they sedulously laboured to ameliorate their condition and to shelter themselves from the climate. A considerable improvement was made, and by August the departments of Government were got in order to receive the settlers who were soon expected to join them. Although several of the pioneer party carefully inspected the country immediate to the Swan and the Helena Rivers, final grants were not made until some weeks later. During this period Lieutenant Roe was active in his explorations, and where selections were applied for made rough but remarkably accurate surveys. With his assistants he executed an enormous amount of work in a few weeks, so that by September and the following months the administration could apportion most of the grants that were applied for.

The detailed "regulations and instructions" upon which land was to be alienated were arranged by Captain Stirling and his Board of Counsel, and an official notice was issued on the 28th August. This lengthy document was placed in prominent positions where intending selectors could study its provisions. The first clause provided that "the territory is progressively to be divided into counties, hundreds, townships, and sections; each section is to contain one square mile, or 640 acres; each township 25 sections; each hundred four townships, and each county 16 hundreds." The Crown intended reserving 600 sections in each county for general public expenses, educational support and endowment, and to defray the cost of public works and the administration of justice. Land was not open to location until surveyed and mapped, and would then be granted in complete sections of one square mile each. No allotment, it was wisely decided, should have more than a fourth of its exterior boundary line frontage on a river. By this means a large number of settlers were able to obtain the advantage of a river frontage. No grants would be made to indentured servants, nor to persons landing in the settlement at the expense of other individuals.

As to town properties, "the area reserved as the site of the Town of Perth will comprise an extent of three square miles, and will be divided into building lots, generally containing nine-tenths of an acre each." The building lots in Perth and Fremantle were to be granted, per instructions from the Home Government, on a 21 years' lease, and the local Government reserved to itself the right of resuming, giving an appraised value as compensation. Each person taking up an allotment was allowed to sell at any time, and at the expiry of 21 years, if not resumed, received the vested right to it.

The mode of procedure for taking up grants was laid down:— "All persons who may be desirous to receive allotments of land, are to make application to the Lieutenant-Governor, according to a form, which will be furnished to them at the office of the Colonial Secretary. If the application be admissible, it will be referred to the Board of Commissioners for the management of Crown property, who will report to the Lieutenant-Governor the extent of land to which the applicant may appear to be entitled, upon a strict examination into the value and description of property imported by him.

"The kinds of property on which claims may be founded, are such only as are applicable to the improvement and cultivation of land, or necessary in placing the settler in his location; and the value thereof will be estimated by the Commissioners, according to such fair standard of reference as they may see fit to adopt.