ng traces of Mr. Gosse's Party.
The Telegraph Line reached.
Arrival at Perth Station.

The success which had attended my previous expeditions, and the great
encouragement received from the Government and public of each colony,
made me wish to undertake another journey for the purpose of ascertaining
whether a route from Western Australia to the advanced settlements of the
Southern colony was practicable. I also hoped to contribute, if possible,
towards the solution of the problem, What is the nature of the interior?
My first journey, when I succeeded in penetrating for about 600 miles
into the unknown desert of Central Australia, had convinced me that,
although there might, and doubtless would, be considerable difficulties
to be encountered, there were no insuperable obstacles except a probable
failure in the supply of water. That certainly was the most formidable of
all the difficulties that would no doubt have to be encountered; but on
the previous journey the scarcity of water had been endured, not without
privation and suffering, but without any very serious result. At any
rate, the expedition I desired to undertake appeared to be of an
extremely interesting character. It might contribute to the knowledge of
an immense tract of country of which hardly anything was known; it might
also be the means of opening up new districts, and attaining results of
immense importance to the colonies. Perhaps, too, I was animated by a
spirit of adventure--not altogether inexcusable--and, having been
successful in my previous journeys, was not unnaturally desirous of
carrying on the work of exploration.

A NEW EXPEDITION PROPOSED.

In 1871 an expedition went out to the eastward of Perth under command of
my brother, Mr. A. Forrest, in search of fresh pastoral country. It was a
very good season, but the expedition was too late in starting. It
succeeded in reaching latitude 31 degrees South, longitude 123 degrees 37
minutes East, and afterwards struck South-South-East towards the coast;
then, with considerable difficulty, it reached Mount Ragged and the
Thomas River, and, continuing westerly, got as far as Esperance Bay, the
homestead of the Messrs. Dempster. This expedition discovered a
considerable tract of good country, some of which has been taken up and
stocked. It was equipped on very economical principles, and did not cost
more than 300 pounds.

The leader had been previously with me as second in command on the
journey to A