IMPORT STOCK TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

These changes were not unmarked by the Overlanders.  Those symptoms of uneasiness which always precede new eras of events began to exhibit themselves at both ends of the proposed line of communication.  My official situation enabled me greatly to forward these, and all persons who landed at the Sound on their passage to South Australia recognised the advantages to be derived from shipping stock to it from Adelaide, and thus avoiding the passage to Swan River round Cape Leeuwin; these persons carried numerous representations to this effect to some of the principal stock-proprietors of South Australia; and at the same time Dr. Harris, one of the oldest and most adventurous of the Swan River settlers, drove a flock of sheep overland from King George’s Sound to the inland districts of the Swan River, thus demonstrating the feasibility of this part of the plan.  The news of his safe arrival at Swan River had only just reached the Sound when Mr. Eyre arrived in Princess Royal Harbour with a vessel laden with sheep; he was followed in a few days by Lieutenant Mundy, who came in a larger one laden with horned stock and sheep; and they immediately despatched another vessel for 1000 more sheep.

STATE OF THE CATTLE MARKET THERE.

Thus was a sort of communication established between the two colonies; but the profits arising from the sale of stock brought in a vessel were in a great measure absorbed by the expenses of transport, and in the winter season the passage is too rough to allow of the risk of shipping stock.  Were they driven overland, instead of being transported by sea, horned stock could be sold at about 5 pounds per head, and sheep for 15 shillings per head less.  Moreover the price of the different colonial markets would be equalised, and new settlers in all the colonies would start with an equal chance; whereas at present if two settlers with equal means go the one to Western and the other to Southern Australia, for every 100 head of horned stock and 100 head of sheep that the settler in Western Australia can buy with his capital the settler in Southern Australia can buy 200 head of horned cattle and 800 of sheep; this scarcely appears to create so vast a difference between the two as it really does until we regard the relative position of the two settlers at the end of some given term of years, for instance five; they would then stand thus: 

(TABLE OF RELATIVE VALUES OF SOUTHERN AND WESTERN AUSTRALIAN STOCK.)

GENERAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE SPREAD OF COMMERCE AND EMIGRATION.