ct. Fremantle, of which it was
wittily said by the quartermaster of one of His Majesty's ships who
visited the place, "You might run it through an hourglass in a day," is
but a collection of low white houses scattered over the scarce whiter
sand. The only conspicuous landmark visible in approaching the anchorage
is the Jail: rather a singular pharos for a settlement in Australia,
which boasts its uncontaminated state. This building I afterwards induced
the Governor to have white-washed, and it now forms an excellent mark to
point out the river, as well as the town.*

(*Footnote. A large patch of white sand, on the coast, about three miles
to the northward of Swan River, also serves as a landmark.)

Shortly after our arrival, I was introduced to the Governor, Sir James
Stirling; he, and all those here best qualified to judge, joined in
regretting that Lieutenant Grey had not decided to come on with us. The
accounts we heard of the country and the natives gave us every reason to
entertain but slender hopes of his success.

AN INLAND LAKE.

Sir James and Mr. Roe, the Surveyor-General, appeared to coincide with
the general opinion that a large inland lake will ultimately be
discovered. They had questioned many of the natives about it, who all
asserted its existence, and pointed in a south-easterly direction to
indicate its position. Their notions of distance are, to say the least,
exceedingly rude; with them everything is "far away, far away." The size
of this water the natives describe by saying, that if a boy commenced
walking round it, by the time he finished his task he would have become
an old man! After all may not this be the great Australian Bight that
these natives have heard of, for none we met in Western Australia
pretended to have seen it? They derive their information from the eastern
tribes, and under such circumstances it must at least be considered
extremely vague.*

(*Footnote. This much-talked-of lake, which it was the assumed labour of
a life to circumambulate, was discovered in January 1843, by Messrs.
Landor and Lefroy, who found it about 100 miles South-South-East from
Beverley. It is quite salt, called Dambeling, and about fifteen miles
long by seven and a half broad!)

The Surveyor-General had lately returned from an exploring journey to the
eastward of the capital, and reported that there existed no reasonable
probability of extending the colony in that direction: he strongly
recommended us t