last visit, and again experienced the greatest hospitality from the
colonists. To the assiduous attentions of my much valued friend, the
Surveyor-General, Lieutenant Roe, R.N., I in great measure ascribe my
rapid recovery. He gave me a painfully interesting account of an
excursion he had made in search of the party left behind by Captain Grey
during his exploring expedition in the neighbourhood of Sharks Bay, with
the sufferings and disastrous termination of which the public have
already been made acquainted in the vivid language of the last-mentioned
officer.

LIEUTENANT ROE'S ACCOUNT OF THE RESCUE OF CAPTAIN GREY'S PARTY.

It was on one of those soft beautiful evenings, so common in Australia,
that I received this narrative from my friend. We had strolled from his
cottage, at the western extremity of the town of Perth, and had just
emerged from the patch of woodland, concealing it from the view of the
Swan, which now lay at our feet. About a mile below, the broad shadow of
Mount Eliza, nearly extended across the river; and in the darkness thus
made, the snow-white sails of a tiny pleasure-boat flitted to and fro.
Beyond lay the beautiful lake-like reach of the river, Melville Water,
just ruffled by a breeze that came sweeping over its surface with all the
delicious coolness of the sea. The beauty of the scene did not divert me
from the events of my friend's story, serving rather to impress them the
more vividly on my mind. I remember well the animated and affecting
manner in which he delivered his narrative, and how his hard features
became lit up as he proceeded by an expression of honest pride, fully
justified by the fact that he had on that occasion been the means of
saving the lives of several of his fellow-creatures. When he found them
they were under a headland, which they had not sufficient strength left
to ascend, nor were they able to round the sea face of it. One of them,
finding all hope of proceeding further at an end, went down on his knees
and prayed to the almighty for assistance; and just as another had
bitterly remarked on the uselessness of proffering such a request, Mr.
Roe and his party, as if directed by the hand of Providence, appeared on
the ridge above them. It would be painful to describe minutely the
condition to which these poor fellows had been reduced; it will be
sufficient to state, that thirst had compelled them to resort to the most
offensive substitute for pure and wholesome water.