26 
foreign power.” On the 18th December, the Governor forwarded a 
despatch to l ord Bathurst, stating that he had agreed to Captain 
Stirling’s proposal ’‘as it is of great importance that so advantag- 
eous a position should not be taken possession of by the French. . . . 
At the same time, if the French meditated a settlement in New Hol- 
land, Swan River, from the accounts given of it by Captain Stirling, 
should not be neglected.” 
In pursuance of these arrangements. Captain Stirling* left Syd- 
ney on the 17tli January, 1827, in the “Success” for the Swan River, 
with the ostensible purpose of making up the French survey de- 
ficiencies, and of t horoughly examining all the country within a reas- 
onable distance of the river. He took with him Mr. Charles Fraser, 
who was at that time Colonial Botanist in New South Wales. The 
“Success” anchored off the south head of Swan River on the 6th 
March, 1827, and early on the morning of the 8th, Stirling proceeded 
to carry out the real objects of the expedition, which were “to pro- 
ceed, if possible, to the source of the river, to examine the banks 
and the depth of water, to fix upon an eligible spot for the settlement, 
to ascertain the products of the country, the nature of the soil, and 
the practicability of forming a harbour for shipping.” 
For the purpose of fulfilling these instructions the ship’s gig 
and cutter were provisioned for a fortnight and well armed, after 
which, under the command of Captain Stirling, they proceeded up 
the river. Mr. Fraser formed one of the party. No difficulties 
were met with until they reached the fiats above Ileirisson Islands 
(the site of the present Perth Causeway ) , where the water was too 
shallow to float the boats, which had to be unloaded and drawn across. 
After that the way was tolerably easy, and on the 1.3th they arrived 
at ‘what they deemed to be the source of the river. 
“At daylight on the 13th,” says Captain Stirling, “we were as 
usual in motion, and observed little variation in the appearance of 
the land as we ascended, except that the hills on the banks were 
higher and more frequent, and the soil upon them of a coarser des- 
cription. They are here composed of a red sandstone, red clay, and 
an oehry loam, varying between red, brown, blue, and yellow. The 
soil on the lowlands continued as good as ever. About an hour be- 
fore starting we had the misfortune to stave the cutter on a sunken 
tree; lead and fearnought, however, speedily effected a cure, and 
we continued to pursue our course amid increasing difficulties from 
similar obstructions, and from the decreasing width of the stream. 
The hills around us were high, and we ascended them with ease, but 
it was in vain that we sought a view of the country; we were the 
more disappointed because its character was evidently changing. 
At length, after several halts, we reached, about 11 o’clock, a spot 
where the river takes an eastern direction, just above a considerable 
creek on the left hand. We there found insurmountable obstructions 
to our further progress, in fact, we have reached the termination. 
