came by Albany; I never came the way you’ve come at all.  Shure, I wilcome yez, in the name of the whole colony.  I saw something about yez in the paper not long ago.  Can I do anything for yez?  This is not my place, but the shepherd is not far; will I go and find him?” “Faith, you may,” I said, “and get him to bring the flock back, so that we can get a sheep for dinner.”  And away he went, and soon returned with the shepherd, sheep, black assistants and their wives; and we very soon had a capital meal of excellent mutton.  While it was in process of cooking the shepherd despatched a black boy to the nearest farm, or settlement, for coffee, butter, sugar, eggs, etc.  The messenger returned at night with everything.  Exploring had now come to an end; roads led to, and from, all the other settled districts of the colony, and we were in the neighbourhood of civilisation once more.  This out-station was the farthest attempt at settlement towards the east, in this part of the colony.  It was called Tootra, and belonged to the Messrs. Clunes Brothers, who live lower down the country.

On the 6th of November we passed by the farm where the black boy had got the coffee, sugar, etc.; it belonged to a Mr. Joyce.  We did not stay there very long, the people did not seem to know what to make of, and never said anything to, us.  That evening we reached Mr. Clarke’s homestead, called Inderu, where we were treated with the greatest kindness by every member of the family.  They gave us eggs, butter, jam, and spirits, and despatched a messenger with a letter to Sir Thomas Elder’s agent at Fremantle.  Here we were also met by young Mr. Lefroy, son of the Hon. O’Grady Lefroy, Treasurer and acting Colonial Secretary for the Colony, who took us off to his station, Walebing, where we remained some days, thoroughly enjoying a recruiting at so agreeable a place.  We had to depart at last, and were next entertained by Mr. and Mrs. McPherson, as we passed by their station called Glentromie.  So soon as the news spread amongst the settlers that a caravan of camels had arrived, bushmen and girls, boys and children, came galloping from all parts, while their elders drove whatever vehicles they could lay their hands on, to come and see the new arrivals.  The camels were quite frightened at the people galloping about them.  Our next reception was at a Spanish Benedictine Monastery and Home for natives, called New Norcia.  This Monastery was presided over by the Right Reverend Lord Bishop Salvado, the kindest and most urbane of holy fathers.  We were saluted on our arrival, by a regular feu-de-joie, fired off by the natives and half-castes belonging to the mission.  The land and property of this establishment is some of the best in the Colony.  Here was the first telegraph station we had reached, and I received a number of congratulatory telegrams from most of the leading gentlemen in Perth; from His Excellency the Governor’s private secretary, the Press, and my brother-explorer Mr. John Forrest.