50 NOTES IX REFERENCE TO SCOTt's TRACK. 



their parties, as ina\-, I trust, clearly estaLlish the justice of 

 Mr. Moore's claim as the pioneer of this ]>articular portion 

 of the colouv. 



The late Mr. C. P. Spreiit, theu a Goverument surveyor, 

 in a I'eport dated May SrJ, 1876, to the Minister of Lauds 

 and "Works, of his exploratious in the country between Mount 

 Bischoff and Mount Heenasliirk, stated that to completely 

 open up the West Coast to pros]jectors, three main tracks 

 were required, of which one should be from Lake St. Clair to 

 some point on the coast. 



Encouraged by the indications of gold and tin found in the 

 vicinity of the Pieman and its tributaries by Mr. Sprent's 

 party, Mr. T. B. Moore started from New Norfolk on January 

 1st, 1877, with two companions — his brother, Mr. J. A. 

 Moore, and myself —with the object of tiuding a practicable 

 overland route to the West Coast in the direction recom- 

 mended, and also with the view of prospecting the country 

 passed through for minerals. The party were provisioned 

 for four months, and in spite of heavy losses in supplies 

 from depredations by bush vermin, remained in the field 

 for five months. 



Of the country traversed, of the magnificent scenery in the 

 Western ranges, and of the incidents of travel, except so far 

 as they relate to Mr, Scott's journey, I do not propose to 

 speak this evening. As pi'eviously stated, the party, of which 

 I was the junior member, left on the 1st vi January, 1877, 

 and it was not xmtil two months later, viz., on the 1st March, 

 that Mr. Scott made a stai't for the coast. On the 13th of 

 that month it was necessary for me to return for supplies, 

 and I left my companions on the Mount Eead — Mount 

 Dundas range — hard at work cutting through some of the 

 worst scrub it has ever been my l)ad fortune to become ac- 

 quainted with. The distance reached by this date was, 

 according to Mr. Scott's own estimate, 60 miles from Lake 

 St. Clair. On the 15th March, having then travelled abcmt 

 half this distance, I met Mr. Scott with two men, an<l did 

 all in my power to facilitate his westward journey by direc- 

 tions asto where he could best pick up our route. The 

 Messrs. Moore had, meanwhile, decided to make a trip to 

 our main depot, and they alst) met Mr. Scott near a lake now 

 charted as Lake Dora, and gave him furtlier directions with 

 the ol)ject of assisting him on his way. 



The next entry in my diary in reference tn the subject of 

 these notes occurs on April '2nd, when having again travelled 

 back with the Moores nearly to the limit of our track, we 

 found Avarm ashes at a camp recently occupied by S<'Ott, and 

 indications of tlie route he had taken in th»' shape of thrrd 

 direction notices, placed in deft sticks, one pointing coa'jt- 



