Page:Cyclopedia of Western Australia, volume 1.pdf/106

ments for having it examined and taken possession of. The country round Shark Bay he considered even worse; in fact, he had been given to understand that the adjacent coastlands were frequently under water. "The French," he added, "would therefore find it difficult to maintain themselves at either of those places."

However, without loss of time directions were given to fit out expeditions for the purpose of carrying into effect the instructions of the Home Government. Three sites for occupancy were determined upon—at Raffles Bay, Western Port, and King George Sound—and on November 9 H.M.S. "Fly" accompanied by the brigs "Amity" and "Dragon," sailed from Sydney to establish the settlements at Western Port and King George Sound. The contingent for the Sound was on the "Amity," and was under the command of Major Lockyer, of the 59th Regiment, who had with him Captain Wakefield and a detachment of the 39th Regiment, as well as twenty-four convicts. In the instructions given to Lockyer he was told "to avoid any expression of doubt as to the whole of New Holland being within this Government, any division of it which may be supposed to exist under the de- signation of New South Wales being merely ideal, and intended only with a view of distinguishing the more settled part of the country. Should this explanation not prove satisfactory it will be proper in that case to refer them to this Government for any further information they may require." If it should so happen that a landing had already been effected by the French "you will, notwithstanding, land the troops agreeably to your instructions, and signify that their continuance with any view to establishing themselves, or colonization, would be considered an unjustifiable intrusion on His Britannic Majesty's possession." The departure of this expedition was notified to Lord Bathurst on November 24. The party arrived at King George Sound on Christmas Day, 1826, and on the morning of the 26th they landed and Lockyer proceeded to select a position for the settlement. Various situations were examined and discussed, but it was not until the 29th that a site was fixed, which is now occupied by the town of Albany. The exact spot where the British flag was hoisted, from which the whole of Western Australia was claimed as belonging to the Crown, is unfortunately not precisely known. It was somewhere at the base of either Mount Clarence or Mount Melville, near both of which there still exist some indications of the early settlement. Very meagre information concerning the little colony is available beyond the diary kept by Major Lockyer during the first four months of its existence. From this we learn that the Sound was used largely by American and other sealers and whalers who plied their vocation among the islands along the south coast and as far up the western coast as Rottnest Island. With these Lockyer from time to time had a good deal of trouble owing to their ill-treatment of the natives. From the condition of the settlement in 1831, when the convicts were withdrawn and the establishment placed under the Swan River Government, we may ascertain that very little progress was made during the four years of its existence. This was probably due to the fact that it was far removed from civilization and was wholly dependent for supplies and information upon occasional visits of ships from Sydney. The soil does not appear to have lent itself to such desultory attempts at cultivation as were carried on. The poor results from tillage may be gauged from the fact that on more than one occasion the colonists were