150 INTERIOR OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
universal destroyers, the white ant and sea-worm. The best timber is 
found in the most hilly country, and the greatest facilities are at com- 
mand for the construction of roads through it ; long, straight timber of 
| any required dimensions being on the spot for bridges and viaducts. 
E Eight or nine miles on a devious course to the N.N.W., through 
E hilly country equally practicable and equally well timbered, took us to 
the Ferguson; after crossing which, by a very good small bridge, the 
road became and continued for three and a half miles so steep and 
severe, amongst sharp abrupt hills, as to be totally impracticable for a 
loaded team. After this, the country opened out and became more 
level; the hills were left entirely behind, and a good easy road might 
be made throughout the intervening distance to the shipping port of 
Bunbury. 
Having now reached a located part of the Colony, we passed by 
beaten tracks homewards, for the benefit of our weary horses, and on 
the evening of the 2nd of February arrived at Perth, after an absence 
of one hundred and forty-nine days. 
During this period the Expedition traversed nearly 1800 miles of 
country; and although, from the nature of the interior, no great addi- 
tion has been made to the amount of good land available to the Colony, 
much useful geographical knowledge has been acquired relative to a 
. portion of this continent hitherto entirely unknown. Independent of 
all other considerations, and as being more immediately and practically 
- beneficial to this Colony, the discovery which has been made on this 
occasion of coal in two available situations, at this particular juncture, 
is alone sufficient recompense for all the outlay and labour bestowed, 
especially if my anticipations are realized, that this valuable mineral 
may be traced even nearer than I found it to the anchorage in Doubtful 
Island Bay. 
It is also to be hoped that, as one of the most valuable and most 
readily available sources of wealth in this Colony, the superb naval 
timber which I observed in such inexhaustible quantity in the forests 
behind Bunbury, will not much longer be suffered to remain there idle, 
but that, on the formation of practicable. roads, the axe and saw will 
shortly resound amongst it, to the mutual advantage of the Colony and 
. of its parent country. 
= The pleasing duty nọw only remains to me of reporting my entire 
satisfaction with the praiseworthy conduct of Messrs. Gregory and 
