52 NOTES IN REFERENCE TO SCOTt's TRACK. 



Further testimony as to Mr. Moore's priority as the ex- 

 plorer of this part of the colony is borue by the late Mr. 

 Sprent, who, in a paper on " Recent Explorations on the 

 West Coast of Tasmania," road before the Victorian Branch 

 of the R(^)yal Geographical Society of Australasia on the 4th 

 September, 1885, spoke of the work done in 1877. He stated 

 that " besides the parties who were working from the Pieman, 

 one party had succeeded in I'eaching the locality from Lake 

 St. Clair, and had cleared and marked a good foot track. 

 This -work Avas accomplished by Messrs. T. B. and J. A. 

 Moore and James Andrew. It was in every respect most 

 useful and interesting. The route they had adopted passed 

 over a most mountainous country, and it was only by dint of 

 much toil that provisions could bo got out." 



Mr. Sprent, who was well acquainted Avith the details of 

 these journeys, does not mention that Mr. Scott in any way 

 assisted in the exploration and development of the western 

 counti'y, and on the chart attached to his paper the track is 

 correctly ascribed to T. B. Moore. 



In May, 1878, Mr. E. A. Counsel, Government Surveyor, 

 who had been commissioned to " cut, mark, and clear a track 

 from Lake St. Clair to the deep waters of the Pieman Eiver," 

 which work was discontinued owing to scarcity of j^ro visions 

 and bad weather, returned to Hobart along our route in 

 company Avith Mr. T. B. Moore. That the difficulties of the 

 small section of track formed conjointly by Scott and the 

 Moores were not very great, may be estimated from the fact 

 that on the first night after leaving Mount Heemskirk, the 

 party camped between Mounts Dundas and Read. Of the 

 succeeding day's tramp Mr. Counsel remarks: — "We had to 

 joui'ney over the toj) of Mount Head, the roughest piece of 

 track from Mount Heemskirk to Lake St. Clair; the day's 

 march must be experienced to be understood." This was 

 the section which was completed weeks before Mr. Scott 

 passed through, and on which three of us were occupied for 

 ten days in cutting the track. 



Mr. Scott's most deservedly high rejmtation as an explorer 

 and as a bushman is far too finnly established in tlie memories 

 of those who knew him, to suffer in the least degree from any 

 remarks of mine in reference to this particular journey. It 

 Avould, I feel sure, cause eitlier of the Messrs. Moore as mucli 

 annoyance as it would myself, should anyone imagine Uiat 

 the ol)jeet of these notes is to detract in any way from the 

 credit Avliich Avas due to Mr. Scott, and I trust that the 

 statement given has been fully sufficient to acquit me of any 

 such intention. 



