WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 706, 27 August 1870, Page 2

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

♦ The following despatch from Governor Weld to Lord Granville, on the capabilities and geographical features of Western Australia, will be read with interest. It is dated March 3, and has only recently been made public : — My Lord — On my appointment to the government of this coloay it appeared advisable that I should at once, by personal inspection, acquaint myself with the geographical*features of the country and its capabilities/ and come as soon as possible into personal communication with its inhabitants, 2. I landed, as I hare already reported, at Albany in the Southern extremity of the colony and proceeded thence to Perth, and after such delay as was necessary for the transaction of current business, accompanied by the Colonial Secretary, the Comptroller of convicts, and a member of my personal staff, I proceeded to York, Northern, and Newcastle, and other Eastern Districts, and thence to Champion Bay and as far northward as the Murchison Biver and the Geraldine mines, the extreme limit of settlement in that drection, returning by the coast route to Perth. Again resting for a while for necessary business, on the 18th January X proceeded (Southward by the Western Coast, and visiting Finjarrah, Bunbury, the Margaret, the Blackwood and Warren distrie's, turned again northwards, and on the 22nd February arrived at Perth, after having travelled almost entirely on horse-back a distance of about 2100 miles, traversing every district of importance in the colony and some which had not hitherto been visited by any of my predecessors. 3. When in the North an accident resulting in a broken rib and other injuries caused me considerable inconvenience, as I felt it necessary to continue my journey, preparations having been made at various places to receive me ; generally I was able to ride, but twice I was obliged to make use of a cart over a rough bush track. So invigorating and elastio however in spite of its heat is the atmosphere of this country, that I found myself able to support this rather, trying ordeal. In the South, however, it being the

middle of one of the hottest Bummers evei known, the thermometer often standing at over lOOdeg. in the shade, my party suffered in some degree from the heat, but far less than might have been anticipated ; indeed, ] cannot speak too highly of the general excellence of this climate. 4. With these minor drawbacks my journey through Western Australia has been interesting and enjoyable, and nothing could surpass the warmth of the reception that has been ex tended to me. At every centre of population I have been met and escorted by cavaleadef through arches of palms, evergreens, and flowers, and greeted with addresses expressing the most devoted loyalty to her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and welcome to myself, whilst mottoes, flags, and other decorations have not only brightened the streets into s blaze of colour, but have often greeted me from the solitary settler's homestead in the heart of the forest; everywhere publicly 1 have been received and entertained witl every possible demonstration of loyalty and respect, and when on my travels I have accepted private hospitality, it has been afforded me with that real heartiness and goodwill which is a colonial characteristic. 5. Some part of my journey has been through almost uninhabited country, in these districts of course we encamped for the night near some water hole or stream, and in this mild climate found no difficulty in making ourselves thoroughly comfortable in bushman fashion. 6. I will not inflict upon your Lordship any long description of the country I have seen, but I have thought that a glance over its leading characteristics might not be entirely without interest. 7. With tbe exception of the small outlying paßtoral settlement of Nichol Bay on the North West Coast, which is frequented by pearl and shell fishers, and which cannot now be visited except by a long and uncertain voyage in sailing coasters, the whole of the settled country of Western Australia lies between Albany, King George's Sound in the South, and the Geraldine lead mines on the Murchison, the extreme Northern limit of my journey, that is to say, between the 28th and 35th parallels of South latitude. 8. The whole of this extent of country, nearly the size of Fiance, is . usually level, often undulating, but never mountainous. The Western seaboard is generally comparatively flat country of a sandy character, composed chiefly of the detritus of old coral reefs, which has been again deposited by the action of water; more inland a formation which is here called ironstone is met with; it appears to be chiefly a conglomerate of disintegrated granite stained with iron ; granite, slate quartz, pipe clay, and in places, trap, are all found in this country. The Darling Range for instance presents these characteristics; it runs from North to South in the central district inland of Perth, and appears once to have formed the coast line. ■ . -9. The whole country from North to South, excepting the spots cleared for cultivation, may be described as one vast forest in the sense of being heavily timbered ; sometimes, but comparatively seldom, the traveller comes upon an open plain covered with shrubs and flowering plants in infinite and exquisite beauty, and often, especially in tbe Northern and Eastern districts, low scrubby trees and bushes fill the place oi timber; but taking the word forest in its wideßt sense — as wild woody and bushy country — Western Australia, as far as ] have seen, is covered with one vast forest itretching far away into regions yet unexplored. 10. A very large proportion of this ii heavy timber country. The Jarrah sometimee erroneously called mahogany, a tree of Eucalyptus tribe, covers immense tracts of land; its timber is extraordinarily durable, and as il resists the white ant and the " Teredo Navalis" it is admirably adapted for railway sleepers, and for piles for bridges and foj harbour works. This timber, when proper)} selected and seasoned, has stood the severest tests, and no term has yet been discovered tc its durability. It is hoped that with increased facilities for transport,^he trade in Jarral may be indefinitely ixzcr/ased. 11. The Sandalwoc# already affords an export, the Tuart and Kai, both Eucalypti oi enormous size, are valuable timber trees; in tbe Southern districts I have ridden foi miles amongst Kauri trees, some of which lying on the ground I have ascertained by actual measurement to reach 150 feet to the lowest branch ; many I estimate when standing to attain nearly double that height from the ground to the topmost branch, thus emulating the great Californian " Wellingtonia," the Kauri (Daromara Australia) oi New Zealand, or the great Eucalyptus Purpurea of Tasmania, a kindred tree reported on by Sir W. Denison, tbe difference being that there are instances of rare and exceptional growth, while in part of this coun try there are forests of these giants of the Vegetable world. 12. I have already slightly alluded to the more obvious geological features of Western Australia; they are such as would indicate the presence of gold, which as yet has been only found in minute quantities ; copper lead, plumbago, and other minerals abound especially in the Champion * Bay district affording, there can be no doubt, opportunity for the investment of capital. I have now in my possession a email specimen of a coa which lam assured is of considerable commercial value ; it was found oh the Murcbison River. 13. The pastoral resources of the colony though far from inconsiderable are less than might be expected from the extent ol country, but I have seen some very fine grassy tracts and many bushes and plants afford good feed for the cattle, indeed I have everywhere remarked, even in this excep tipnally dry season, that the stock as a rule were in good condition. As a horse-breeding country I think with care this should havt few rivals. 14. An expedition which 1 am about tc «end out, along the shores of the great Aub

r tralian Bight, will, I hope, not only opsn a t communication with South Australia and I add to our geographical knowledge, but may » also result in extending the area of pastoral [ enterprise. 15. There is a considerable amount of wheat of remarkably good quality grown in ■ Western Australia, which possesses some - fine agricultural districts ; the crops are i generally light, but this is owing in a great ■ degree to over-cropping and slovenly farmi ing. i 16. It is to be regretted that more attenI tion is not paid to fruit and wine growing; f this is essentially the land of the olive and i the vine. The Weßt Australian wines are, , as a rule, carelessly and unscientifically t made; but as far as I can judge they are i likely to possess many of the characteristics > of Spanish, Portuguese, and Sicilian wines, i and are found to contain a much greater proI portion of alcohol than the wines of other i Australian colonies. I 17. It has been often remarked that the - great drawback to Western Australia is — I that its good and available land is scattered I about in patches. This is perfectly true if reference be had simply to corn growing ami to i feeding stock on natural pasture, but nothing i has struck me so forcibly as the fact that here almost any soil will grow something or i other; thus the light sandy soil about Perth i astonishes me by its abundant garden produce The vine grows luxuriantly everywhere even in the apparently sterile " iron stone" ranges, i and the flooded low lands even by brackish i swamps would grow the New Zealand Flax to 1 perfection. 18. I do not suppose that Western Australia or indeed that Australia generally, will • ever support so large a population, in proport tion to its area, as many other parts of the world, but I do believe that it will keep a very much larger population than is now supposed possible, when the necessity is : recognised of not forcing nature, but of growing Mediterranean products in a country which possesses a Mediterranean climate and, in many places a North African soil. : 19. Water is the great want of Australian i Colonies; the South Western portion of this Colony ia remarkably well watered, fresh , running brooks are often met with, and , throughout the country I have traversed there is a fair supply of water, and there does > hot appear to be much difficu ty, as a rule, in obtaining it by sinking. 20. The roads are wonderfully good con- : sidering their great extent and the scattered i nature of our small population, and in no i country that I have ever seen are there : greater or more general facilities for the construction of roads, railways, and lines of , telegraph. ; 21. So much depends upon the means of i shipping produce and landing, goods possessed by a colony that I cannot omit all reference i to Harbours. The port of King George's Sound i 3 well known ; there are several i good roadsteads and anchorages along the coast; but a careful survey and some additional lights and other improvements would. ; be very beneficial. I shall have the honour ■ by next mail of forwarding to your Lordship a report by Mr Doyne, our consulting engii neer, upon Rockingham, Fremantle, and the i Swan River navigation. 22. I have purposely refrained in these [ few notes from entering into statistical dei tails, they will shortly be laid before your Lordship in a complete and compendious [ form, as the Census is to be taken this ; month. 23, I say, however, in conclusion, that though the commercial depression that has » affected all the Australian Colonies has been i deeply felt here, and two successive failures ■ of the wheat crops in some of our best dis- ; tricts have sorely tried the farmers, though i an exceptionally dry summer has in many - parts embarrassed the pastoralists, and added ' to this, the suspension of immigration, and r the gradual decrease of convict expenditure, r cannot but be severely felt, still in spite of t all these drawbacks the colony has vitality > left, and I have great reason to believe is I even in a sounder state than others api parently more prosperous ; still another bad season under present circumstances would be i absolutely ruinous unless, by offering E facilities for cutting and transporting timber ; and working minerals, we can give a working • stimulus to our exports and attract i capital and energy to these shores.