onded. He said that
when he went out with Mr. Stuart he was only a new chum; but he went out
and came back again, and there he was. He could not say much about Mr.
Stuart's explorations, as all that needed to be said had been so ably put
by Sir Henry Ayers. There was no country in the world that had so tried
the endurance and perseverance of the men on exploring expeditions as
South Australia had done, and explorers should receive all the credit
that could be given. He knew the difficulty of travelling country like
that Mr. Forrest had come across, as several of Mr. Stuart's party had
travelled upon it trying to strike the Victoria River. If Mr. John
Chambers's liberality were known, and the way he had entered into the
question of exploration generally were known, his name would be brought
into more prominence than it had. He had sat in the background, but he
had found both money and energy.

The Honourable W. Everard (Commissioner of Crown Lands) said the toast he
had to give was The Government and People of Western Australia. Owing to a
variety of circumstances, our relations with Western Australia had not
been so intimate or close as those with the eastern colonies. That would
be readily understood, because Western Australia, being a small colony,
and self-reliant and independent, had troubled us very little
--occasionally for a few tons of flour or a cargo of notions. Another reason
was that it had not had telegraphic communication with us or the rest of
the world, and it was separated from us by a large extent of country which
till lately was considered little better than a howling wilderness. He was
happy to say that by the enterprise of Western Australia the magic wire
which annihilated time and distance would be laid between the two colonies
before long; and he was happy to say the Legislature here had agreed to
construct the South Australian part of the line, so that Western Australia
would be placed in communication, not only with South Australia, but the
world. (Cheers.) And again, with reference to that large tract of hitherto
supposed desert country which lay between the two colonies, the experience
of the gallant men he saw around him, and not only of the Messrs. Forrest,
but of Warburton, Gosse, and Giles, had shown that it contained grassy
valleys, mountain ranges, and permanent waters, and he believed that
before long it would be occupied by squatters. We must remember that, in
South Australia, close upo