desirable that part of your route which lies farthest in the interior
country should be first accomplished, in order to avail yourself of the
best chance of finding water.

You will examine that river as far as it may be practicable to do, with
the view of tracing its course; of ascertaining, if possible, the nature
of the bar at the mouth of it, and the question of its being practicable
for boats, to what distance from the bar, and the nature of the soil in
the vicinity of either bank.

After having examined thus the Gascoyne River you will proceed in a
southerly direction and examine the river, as yet unnamed, about forty
miles farther south, that flows into Shark's Bay, the mouth of which was
seen by Captain Grey, and is placed by him at Point Long.

Should you proceed along the sea-shore for any distance you will pay as
much attention as your limited means will allow you to do to the
peculiarities of the coast, and of any estuaries, creeks, or roadsteads
that may present themselves.

You will bear in mind that the primary object of this expedition is the
examination of a new tract of unknown country for practical purposes, by
practical men--that, in fact, the discovery of new land of an available
kind for pasture has become a thing to be desired, of paramount
importance, and an object in the attainment of which the interests and
perhaps the fate of this colony depend.

You will thus conduct your expedition with the view of promoting this
principal object to the best of your ability. But it is hardly needful to
observe to you that this chief object may be promoted and attained
without neglecting to observe the geographical, geological, and
mineralogical features of the country you pass through; its
productions--animal and vegetable; and the character, dialects, and
customs, to some extent, of the aboriginal tribes you may fall in with.
You have been so frequently employed in exploring expeditions, though of
minor importance perhaps to the present, that you must be well aware it
is no less impolitic than cruel to come into actual collision, wantonly,
unadvisedly, and maliciously, with the natives; and, on the contrary,
that it is no less humane than politic to leave no angry recollections of
white people, where the footsteps of travellers, however few and far
between, must be expected to follow yours.

Should your route, either in proceeding on the expedition or returning,
be in the direction of that part of the