of a considerable sheet of bare sand, extending at least four miles into the interior.  In the course of the evening we rejoined our party on the Moore River.  Next day we halted at Kadjelup; and on the 19th we separated at Neergabby once more, Mr. Spofforth to conduct the remainder of the party home with as much celerity as they could travel, whilst I proceeded with Kinchela and Warrup to examine the coast from the mouth of the Moore River for any traces of Mr. Walker, of whose fate we were in total ignorance.  By noon of the 22nd we had arrived within 12 miles of Perth without remarking the least trace of the supposed absentee, when we were met by Mr. Hunt the constable with the pleasing intelligence that Mr. Walker had reached Perth on the 9th instant.  In the evening we arrived at the same place, and found that Mr. Spofforth had brought in his charge the day before.

...

CONCLUSION OF THE EXPEDITION.

If Mr. Roe’s party had been delayed only a few hours there is every probability that from the debilitated state in which the men were found they would all have perished.

I deeply regretted the death of poor Frederic Smith, who had come out from England expressly for the purpose of joining me, led solely by the spirit of enterprise, and not with any view of settling.  He was the most youthful of the party, being only 18 years of age, and thence was less capable than the others of bearing up against long-continued want and fatigue, and the excessive heat of the climate, under which he gradually wasted away until death terminated his sufferings.  When aroused by danger or stimulated by a sense of duty he was as bold as a lion, whilst his manner to me was ever gentleness itself, as indeed it was to all.*

(Footnote.  He was the eldest son of Octavius Smith, Esquire, of Thames Bank, and grandson of the late William Smith, Esquire, long known in political life as Member for Norwich.)

Upon the final return of the expedition a desire was expressed by some gentlemen of the colony of Western Australia to remove Mr. Smith’s remains to Perth; but upon mature reflection I declined their friendly proposal, preferring rather to let him rest close by the spot where he died, having given the name of my ill-fated friend to a river which hides itself in the sandy plains near where he fell so early a sacrifice to his gallant and enterprising spirit.

CHAPTER 6.  SUMMARY OF DISCOVERIES.

Rivers and mountain ranges discovered.

Having now brought the narrative of my expedition along the western shores of Australia to a close I shall here retrace in a brief summary the principal geographical discoveries to which it led.

The country examined during this expedition lies between Cape Cuvier and Swan River, having for its longitudinal limits the parallel of 24 degrees and that of 32 degrees south latitude, and the expedition combined two objects:  the examination and nautical survey of such parts of the coast lying between these limits as were imperfectly known, and the exploration of such parts of the continent as might on examination appear worthy of particular notice.