WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Colonist, Issue 67, 11 June 1858, Page 3

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

We (Sydney Empire) are hi possession of Western Australian files to the 9th of April. .^The Gazette of the 19th March contains the following particulars of an expedition having for its object" the exploration of the country lying betweeu the mouth of the Gascoigne River and Mount Murchison. That journal says: -We have great pleasure in being able to aunounce that Mr. F. Gregory, with the joint aid of some of the settlers and the Government, has organised a party to explore the country lying between the mouth of the Gascoig ie River and Mount Murchison. The party consists of Mr. Gregory and his chainer, Messrs. J. Roe, W. Moore, C. Nairne, and a native vviih ten horses, and provisions for 60 days from the Wanerenooka Mine, which will be the final starting point, the party leaving Perth some time next week, and Toodyay about Tuesday week. The intelligence of the running of the Murchison River has decided the start being made so early in the season, as there can be now no doubt that both water and feed will be plentiful as far as Mount Murchison, from whence Mr. Gregory expects that two days will.take him to the head of the Gascoigne, where we have little doubt he, will succeed in finding a good country, and earn for himself such an addition to his former reputation as an explorer of Australian wilds, as will maintain the merited fame with which the"name of Gregory is already invested. At the third half-yearly meeting of the Wanerenooka Mining Company, the Chairman, Mr. G. Shenton, informed the shareholders that the works were proceeding satisfactorily, that a considerable quantity of black oxide had been raised, as well as 20 tons of grey ore, containing 50 per cent of copper, that there were about 60 tons of copper at Champion Bay, and that the new shaft was progressing slowly, in consequence of the sinking being through granite. The same journal in its issue of the 7th April, contains the following :— From King George's Sound, under date 31st ultimo, the Government Resident at Albany encloses to the Colonial Secretary's office the following account of the discovery of a life boat by Captain Hamblin, of the ship Congress (American whaler, we presume, there being one of that name on the coast), who put. into the Sound on the 26th ultimo :—" I picked up a new copper-fastened life boat in lat. 36 deg. 50 sec. south; longitude 101. E. the 21st March, 1858. She had the appearance of having been afloat from 4 to 6 months, and had been bottom up for most of the lime, for the sea clams were as large inside as they were out, which was about 2 inches. There was the stump of an oar lashed to the mast. I thought that had been used for a mast: she had never been fitted for a sail. Her planks were- Norway

pine, with beech keel and rollocks, elm gunwhales and timbers. She was 25 feet long, and 6 feet, 2 inches broad amidships. She. had probably drifted from the Cape of Good Hope, as she was in a line with the easterly flow. Beneath the lashing that secured the oar to the thwart was a lady's shawl, and beneath the ceiling there was some long hair of the colour generally called auburn. There was no name about the boat that I could make out, but a few pencil marks in the stern which were nearly erased."