d all had the interest and welfare of the expedition at heart, and
on no occasion uttered a single murmur. Finally, sir, my best and most
sincere thanks are due to His Excellency Governor Weld for the very
efficient manner in which the expedition was equipped. It is chiefly
owing to the great zeal and desire of His Excellency that I should have
everything necessary, that the success of the enterprise is
attributable.

I have, etc.

JOHN FORREST, Leader of Expedition.

The Hon. F.P. Barlee, Esq., Colonial Secretary, W.A.

FROM WEST TO EAST. II. THE INTERIOR

+Source.+--Explorations in Australia (John Forrest, 1875), pp. 149-162,
188, 201, 257, 261

Four years after his successful journey along the Bight, Forrest
determined to explore the interior of Western Australia, and in so
doing added greatly to the knowledge of that somewhat neglected
State.

The success which had attended my previous expeditions, and the great
encouragement received from the Government and public of each colony,
made me wish to undertake another journey for the purpose of
ascertaining whether a route from Western Australia to the advanced
settlements of the Southern colony was practicable. I also hoped to
contribute, if possible, towards the solution of the problem, What is
the nature of the Interior? My first journey, when I succeeded in
penetrating for about 600 miles into the unknown desert of Central
Australia, had convinced me that, although there might, and doubtless
would, be considerable difficulties to be encountered, there were no
insuperable obstacles, except a probable failure in the supply of water.
That certainly was the most formidable of all the difficulties that
would no doubt have to be encountered; but on the previous journey the
scarcity of water had been endured, not without privation and suffering,
but without any very serious result.

Stuart's great feat of crossing the continent from south to north had
been followed by other successful efforts in the same direction. Another
result was the establishing a line of telegraph from Adelaide to Port
Darwin. This might, therefore, be considered the eastern boundary of the
unknown districts, and, moreover, was the point of departure for the
South Australian expeditions in a westerly direction. It was also the
limit I desired to reach, and reaching it, I should achieve the object I
had so much at heart.

On the 18th of March, 1874, the expediti