Page:History of West Australia.djvu/96

72 valley, but, unfortunately, a complete list of their names does not exist. Numerous spectators gathered at Guildford to witness their departure, and acted as a convoy to them for some little distance. Captain Stirling gave instructions as to what should be done, and desired that an effort should be made to explore the country N.N.W. and S.S.E. of Mount Bakewell. The explorer Dale was very properly placed in charge of the party. The Governor himself rode a whole day's journey with the band. He led the van and behind him there streamed a procession whose quaint picturesqueness could be more graphically conveyed by the artist's pencil than by the journalist's pen. The Governor's cart rumbled along the rugged bush track drawn by five horses; in close proximity an unusual though pleasing spectacle was witnessed in the peculiar combination of two horses and two cows yoked and harnessed, two and two, to the waggon of Messrs. Clarkson and Hardy, pioneers of the settlement. Bringing up the rear was the rustic cart of Mr. Hales, where two cows did ample substitution for the more favourite steed. Three packhorses, bearing provisions and clothes in sacks, and numerous men on foot, completed the company. Messrs. Bland and Moore were prominent members of the band. Harbingers of spring, in delicately painted wild flowers, ornamented the way, and twittering birds sang joyously to the travellers. Rains had but lately fallen, and the track was washed into ruts by many swollen streams. The caravan was obstructed by the larger rivulets, and brushwood had to be collected and placed in the channels before the vehicles could proceed. Seven miles from Guildford they reached the foot of the Darling Ranges, and the ascent was begun. The Governor now took his departure, and amid three hearty cheers from the pioneers began his homeward ride. Then the company halted, and under a large gum tree prepared the evening meal. It was a fine evening. The huntsmen killed a kangaroo, and its simmering flesh roasting on a roaring fire perfumed the air. All enjoyed the passing moment, thinking not of the labours before them. Hammocks were slung from the blackboy trees, and each man composed himself to rest. Near by stood the dim forms of two rustic native huts. The scene was delightful, but the intense cold of morning broke in rudely on their enjoyment.

The after progress was tedious. The pass was rocky and difficult, the day was rainy and cold, and a path had to be chosen by Dale and his companions before the carts could pursue their way. So obstructed was their route that only three miles were accomplished on the second day. Mr. Dale went in advance with a companion and marked the trees. Then followed a number of men with axes, who hewed them down. After that came the carts themselves. The second night's camp was little beyond the first resting-place. Heavy rain fell, and it was some time before a fire could be lighted. Hammocks collapsed during the night under the wind and rain, and the pioneers had to draw near the fire and there sleep in the wet as best they could. The route on the 8th was more accessible, extending through an open mahogany forest interspersed with a few blue gum trees. They made their bivouac in a picturesque vale, but claps of thunder and heavy rain disturbed their slumbers. Thus was the first part of their journey passed, and for them it was no happy augury of the success of inland settlement. Even through their severest trials there was one among them who was ever merry. He was an old soldier named Sheridan. It was his particular duty to wheel a perambulator, or instrument for measuring distances, and, as one of the company wrote, he sang and talked incessantly, whether wet or dry, busy or idle. After a miserable wet night he would seize the handles of the instrument in the morning, "singing with stentorian voice the old drum beat—'Tither, row, dow, dow, dow; and tither, ither, row, dow; tither, ither, row, dow,'"

The inclement weather prevented rapid travelling, and each night found them but a few miles away from their starting point of the morning. Streams had to be bridged with trees and spars to allow the vehicles to pass over, and good pasture to be chosen for the horses and cattle. On the 12th the casuarina country was entered, and three days later a party of natives was surprised, who hurried out of sight, hurling furious gesticulations and vociferations at this advance-guard of civilisation, The dogs ran down a kangaroo, in whose pouch was found a young one, a "beautiful black-eyed creature." This was tenderly lifted by one of the party, who put it in his pocket and carried it away for a domestic pet. After a few days the "pretty, affectionate creature," which soon recognised its master's voice and hopped after him, pined away and died. A distant glimpse of Mount Bakewell was obtained on the 15th September, and was joyously hailed with three cheers and a volley of guns. A picturesque sight soon stretched before them, for there were the valleys where their work was to begin, and where some day they hoped to see rural prospects of farms, houses, haystacks, barns, and rich bearing gardens.

'They came upon the Avon River on the following day, and camped the night on its banks at the foot of Mount Bakewell. Next morning they bathed in the stream, and after breakfast each man washed his limited store of linen, and dried it on convenient shrubs and limbs of trees. The horses were rested for some days, and excursions were made on foot to different grants. Messrs. Bland, Dale, Clarkson, and Hardy chose the site of the first settlement, and Mr. Dale set out on the 20th to carry out Stirling's instructions to explore neighbouring country. He had as companions Mr. G. F. Moore, Mr. Thompson, and Sheridan, the merry old soldier. All rode horses, but Moore and Sheridan were not so comfortably equipped as the others. Having no saddles, they had to content themselves with their cloaks doubled under them for protection against the bony horses. Each man carried his provisions and a gun. Under these conditions they rode 300 miles—a trying experience. The country between the Mount, or the site of York at its feet, and the designed site of Beverley, supplied splendid pasture. The latter was the furthest point south, of Dale's previous explorations, and it was expected that the land beyond improved in richness. They went into the south over barren-looking plains of whitish clay, covered with white gum trees having a rusty tinge on the bark. Not seeing much rich country, although areas were well grassed, they turned to the N.N.W on 23rd September, when some sixty miles from Mount Bakewell. They passed through casuarina and acacia country, and came to a small waterfall over a granite rock. Acacias, bearing flowers like the laburnum, surrounded the little dell wherein it plashed, and bright buttercups decorated the green pasture. Country to the south of York was inspected and reported on as irregular, good soil alternating with bad, and on the evening of 26th September they returned to the infant settlement at the foot of Mount Bakewell. During following days Mount Shole was discovered and named. On the way a native family was come upon, consisting of a man, woman, girl, and infant. These raised a sad outcry upon discovering their visitors and the man lit a fire evidently as a signal to other