Page:The State and Position of Western Australia.djvu/88



now conducted the reader to the several stations in the colony, with the view of enabling him to form some idea of the state and progress of the settlement, it remains to complete this part of the subject by glancing at the general state of society. On this topic considerable light is thrown by a little volume made up of passages extracted from letters and journals transmitted to his friends at home by Mr. Moore, the Advocate-General. Originally intended solely for the perusal of a private circle, and therefore thrown off in evident haste, and without the slightest view to publication, and often only recording the fleeting rumour of the day, it is to be regretted that these documents were not submitted to his pruning hand. Some inconvenience has arisen from this; and not the least is, that some of the acts of the colonial government have gone forth to the public with, though no doubt most unintentionally, a degree of