1837.] Account of the New Colony of Western Australia. 311 



high price in the London market. Salt mines have been met with in 

 this district, near the site of a town called Beverly. 



After giving these hints on the natural history of the colony, I 

 should proceed next in order to describe the manners and customs' of 

 the inhabitants. 



In the month of June 1829, His Excellency Sir James Stirling, Go- 

 vernor and Commander in Chief, with the Civil Officers in the ship Par- 

 melia, attended by His Majesty's Ship Sulphur, having on board a de- 

 tachment of the 63d regiment, under the command of Captain Irwin, 

 arrived and took possession of the colony. Soon afterwards, the settlers 

 commenced to arrive, and continued to pour in rapidly, until the lat- 

 ter end of 1830 ; at which period the population amounted to about 

 two thousand. The ships which carried them out bore a strong 

 resemblance to Noah's ark, being crowded to excess with all manner of 

 beasts, birds and plants, as well as men, women and children, and pro- 

 visions. If we suppose the population of one of the agricultural parishes 

 in England, with a sprinkling of half pay officers of the navy and army, 

 some gentlemen from the East and West Indies, and a few cockneys, 

 put down on the shores of a wilderness, it will give some idea of the 

 individuals who were destined to become the founders of this interest- 

 ing new Colony. 



The settlers may be divided into two classes, viz. gentlemen ancf 

 labourers, many of them married and having young families, others 

 single. Amongst the former, were a large proportion of highly re- 

 spectable individuals, who were accustomed to refined society, with 

 the comforts and luxuries of life ; amongst the latter, were some in- 

 dustrious, able and valuable servants, but with these were mixed up 

 a large number of idle and worthless men, amongst whom drunkenness 

 was a constant vice. Perhaps it will be expected that I should say 

 something here of the soldiers, but I may not say with Cleghorn, it is 

 a task I would rather avoid, — pudet haec opprobria nobis, 8zc. To say 

 the least, the leaven of good amongst them was in much greater pro- 

 portion than amongst the lower classes of settlers ; and the compli- 

 mentary address, voted to the detachment by the respectable inhabi- 

 tants on its quitting the colony, is a strong proof of their good conduct. 



The first object of the settler in landing was to get up a temporary 

 shelter for himself and those in his establishment ; these were for a 

 time of a wretched description. Some used single tents, which afford- 

 ed but little protection from the heat of the sun by day, and the cold 

 and winds by night. Others were accommodated in huts built of 



