49 



quite ignored in dealing with questions of that sort. If by building 

 the railway in question they would injure the port of Fremantle 

 and the trade of Perth, they had to consider that question, and, no 

 doubt, it would be dealt with at the proper time. He had to say 

 that they had not to deal with that question at the present time. 



The following extracts from the report of Surveyor E. S. 

 Brockman, dated June 26, 1896, have been courteously furnished 

 by the ruder-Secretary, Crown Lands department (Mr. R. C. 

 Clifton) : " The country for 50 miles on each side of Esperance 

 may be generally described as First, an irregular belt of sand and 

 limestone hills joining the coast line on the south and extending 

 inland, with an average width of about five miles. This belt of 

 country is fairly grassed with a coarse coast grass, and contains 

 numberless little hollows (with good soil and water at shallow 

 depths), suitable for growing vegetables, lucerne, and root crops. 

 Adjoining the coast hills on the north comes a very irregular strip 

 of ordinary sand-plain country, consisting of loose sand and gravel, 

 with poor vegetation and very little water, having an average width 

 of 25 miles, practically extending to the edge of the ' certain rain- 

 fall.' This is succeeded by mallee scrub of stunted growth for the 

 first few miles, growing on poor sand, clay, and gravel, but 

 increasing in size, with a marked improvement in the soil as it 

 extends inland. From a line about 60 miles north from the coast 

 inland to Norseman the soil is generally good ; it is covered with 

 mallee scrub and occasional salmon gum and black-heart forest, and 

 is well grassed in patches, after good rains, which are apparently 

 rare. Generally speaking, the country is poor where the rainfall. is 

 good, and the soil good where the rain is uncertain. The excep- 

 tions to this rule occur principally along the valleys of the small 

 rivers rising in the mallee country, and running through the sand 

 plains and coast hills to "the sea. The most noticeable of these 

 exceptions is on the Dalyup ; but there are good little strips on the 

 Sart, Oldlield, Munglinup, and Young rivers, and also, I am 

 informed, on the Thomas, principally within pastoral leases, and 

 not of sufficient extent to set apart as special areas. There are also 

 patches on the edge of the mallee country. The only patch of con- 

 siderable extent not subdivided, is on the Munglinup, about 4000 

 acres. Of the special areas already subdivided the Myrup creek 

 area contains about 300 acres of good land. The subdivided 

 portion of the Dalyup special area is very good land, consisting of 

 clays and strong loams ; it is well grassed and the clearing very 

 light ; it is within the good rainfall, and inland from the belt of 

 sandy coast country, and is therefore well situated for hay growing 

 for the Norseman market. I consider that this from its situation is 

 the most valuable piece of agricultural land now held by the 

 Crown in the colony. It would be advisable to prevent the whole 

 of this area being selected by one or two selectors, and I would 

 suggest limiting one applicant to two blocks as subdivided. As 



