ttle, their sole dependence for any
other article of food being the kangaroo dogs, and the only thing I was
able to do in order to better their situation was to leave them some
shot.

All other circumstances connected with their position were on the same
scale. They had but one knife, an old clasp one; there was but one small
bed for one person, the others sleeping on the ground every night, with
little or no covering; they had no soap to wash themselves or their
clothes, yet they submitted cheerfully to all these privations,
considering them as necessary attendants upon their situation. Two of
these out-settlers were gentlemen, not only by birth but also in thought
and manner, and, to tell the truth, I believe they were far happier than
many an idle young man I have seen lounging about in England, a burden to
himself and his friends; for it must be borne in mind that they were
realizing a future independence for themselves.

THEIR PRIVATIONS.

Many of the ills and privations which they endured were however
unnecessary, and were entailed upon them by the mistaken system that has
been pursued at Swan River of spreading to the utmost their limited
population. I trust however that a wiser line of policy will now be
pursued, and that settling will consequently become an easier, less
dangerous, and far more agreeable task.

ROUTE ALONG MR. ELLIOTT'S TRACKS. TRACKING MR. ELLIOTT.

On the morning of the 16th Mr. Walker went to the Upper Williams, where
the soldiers were quartered, for a further supply of provisions, whilst
the native and myself tried to make off Mr. Elliott's tracks, in doing
which we were not however successful. The next morning, previously to Mr.
Walker's return, I renewed my search with Kaiber for the tracks with a
little more success, as amidst the numerous traces of cattle and horses
along the bed of the river the native was able by his acute eye to
discover the footsteps of a colt. When Mr. Walker returned the little boy
belonging to the establishment came back with him. He had seen Mr.
Elliott start and assured me that he had heard him express his
determination of keeping the bed of the river for eighteen miles. With
this piece of information we moved on down the river on the tracks which
we were able to distinguish for about two miles and a half, when they
quitted it in a south-south-west direction; and from the hard nature of
the ground the tracking from thence became excessively difficult. If th