ly direction reached
by him was in longitude 126 degrees 59 minutes East; and that Mr. Giles,
a Victorian explorer, had reached longitude 125 degrees, but had been
unable to penetrate farther.

Some records of these expeditions, and a copy of the chart made by Mr.
Gosse, were in my possession, when at length, in March, 1874, I set to
work on the preliminary arrangements for the expedition. Before leaving
Perth I received from the Surveyor-General the following outline of
instructions for my general guidance:--

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS.

Western Australia, Surveyor-General's Office,

Perth, 17th March, 1874.

SIR,

The arrangements connected with the party organized for the purpose of
proceeding on an exploratory expedition to the north-eastern division of
this territory having now been completed, I am directed to instruct and
advise you generally in the objects and the intention of the Government
in regard to it.

The chief object of the expedition is to obtain information concerning
the immense tract of country from which flow the Murchison, Gascoigne,
Ashburton, DeGrey, Fitzroy, and other rivers falling into the sea on the
western and northern shores of this territory, as there are many good and
reasonable grounds for a belief that those rivers outflow from districts
neither barren nor badly watered.

Mr. A.C. Gregory, coming from the northwards by Sturt's Creek, discovered
the Denison Plains, and it may be that from the head of the Murchison
River going northwards there are to be found, near the heads of the
rivers above alluded to, many such grassy oases; and, looking at the
success which has already attended the stocking of the country to the
eastward of Champion Bay, and between the heads of the Greenough River
and Murchison, it will be most fortunate for our sheep farmers if you
discover any considerable addition to the present known pasture grounds
of the colony; and by this means no doubt the mineral resources of the
interior will be brought eventually to light. Every opinion of value that
has been given on the subject tells one that the head of the Murchison
lies in a district which may prove another land of Ophir.

In tracing up this river from Mount Gould to its source, and in tracing
other rivers to and from their head waters, detours must be made, but
generally your course will be north-east until you are within the
tropics; it will then be discretionary with you to decide on your route,
of which