and two natives, one of whom had accompanied Forrest on
his former trip. A coasting schooner, the Adur, of 30 tons, was to
accompany them round the coast, calling at Esperance Bay, Israelite Bay,
and Eucla, supplying them with provisions at these depots.

On the 30th of March they left Perth. The first part of the journey to
Esperance Bay was through comparatively settled and well-known country,
so that no fresh interest attached to it. They arrived at Dempster's
station at Esperance a few days before the Adur sailed into the Bay, and
on the 9th of May, 1870, they started on their next stage to Israelite
Bay.

[Map. Forest's Route 1869; Forrest's Route 1870; Forrest's Route 1874;
Giles's Route 1873; Grey's Route 1836 and 1837 and 1839.]

From Esperance Bay to Israelite Bay the journey lacked incident, and it
was not until Forrest again parted from his relief boat that he had to
encounter the most serious part of his undertaking. He had now to face
the line of cliffs which frowned over the Bight, behind which he had, as
he knew, little or no chance of finding water for 150 miles. Having made
what arrangements he could to carry water, he left the last water on the
5th of April. About a week afterwards he reached the break in the cliffs,
where water could be obtained by digging in the sandhills. Luckily they
had found many small rock-holes filled with water, which had enabled them
to push steadily on. Forrest says that the cliffs, which fell
perpendicularly to the sea, although grand in the extreme, were terrible
to gaze from:--

"After looking very cautiously over the precipice, we all ran back, quite
terrified by the dreadful view."

While resting and recruiting at the sandhills, he made an excursion to
the north, and after passing through a fringe of scrub twelve miles deep,
he came upon most beautifully-grassed downs. At fifty miles from the sea
there was nothing visible as far as the eye could reach but gentle
undulating plains of grass and saltbush. There being no prospects of
water, he was forced to turn back, fortunately finding a few surface
pools both on his outward and homeward way.

On the 24th they started from the sandhills for Eucla, the last
meeting-place appointed with the Adur. During this stage he kept to the
north of the Hampton Range, and through a country well-grassed but
destitute of surface water. The party reached Eucla on the 2nd of July,
and found the Adur duly awaiting them. Whilst at Eucl