ength of the party, rendering it
utterly impracticable for the expedition to proceed as high northward as
Gascoyne River, your discretion then supplying whatever you may be
unprovided for in your instructions, you will explore as far as it is
possible for you to do, on your return, the country north of the settled
districts of York and Toodyay; so that something of utility may be
accomplished, and the great object for which this expedition was prepared
may not be wholly frustrated.

I am further to add that His Excellency's best wishes accompany your
party, and that the success of the expedition, and the return of all
engaged in it in health and safety, will be hailed by him with very
lively satisfaction.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

R.R. MADDEN,

Colonial Secretary.

To A.C. Gregory, Esquire, Perth.

...

GENERAL REPORT OF JOURNEY.

Perth, November 20, 1848.

SIR,

I have the honour to transmit, for the information of His Excellency the
Governor, the following outline of the proceedings of the exploring party
to the northward which His Excellency has been pleased to place under my
direction. I regret that we have not succeeded in reaching the Gascoyne
River, which your instructions for my guidance pointed out as the
ultimate object of the expedition; but I trust that our attempts to
render the expedition serviceable to the colony have not proved
unsuccessful, especially as the result has been the discovery of several
fine portions of good grassy land near Champion Bay, which, with the more
minute examination of the country in the vicinity which had been
previously discovered, will render available a tract of pasturage
sufficiently extensive to relieve the present overstocked districts; the
estimated quantity of land suitable for depasturing sheep being about
225,000 acres, exclusive of 100,000 acres on the Irwin, the greater
portion of which, however, is better suited to agricultural purposes. The
observations I have had the opportunity of making during this journey
have confirmed my previous opinion, that, could the party have started in
July instead of September, the chief obstacle to our progress--the want
of water--might have been avoided; and although there would have been
many minor difficulties to encounter, I feel assured that the same zeal
and energy which enabled my party to contend so long with the obstacles
which opposed their advance to the Gascoyne River, would h