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- 3rd. The great advantage of fresh-water springs of the best quality, and consequent permanent humidity of the soil—two advantages not existing eastward of the Blue Mountains.
- 4th. The advantage of water carriage to their own doors and the non-existence of impediments to land carriage.
These favourable reports so impressed General Darling that he forwarded, on April 21, 1827, a despatch in which he strongly advised the Home Government to establish a settlement at Swan River as quickly as possible. In this despatch he points out:—
Assuming that the calculations of the periods necessary to make the respective voyages to and from India and other parts are correctly stated, Swan River would appear to hold out advantages highly deserving attention. A convalescent station might be established there, as proposed by Captain Stirling, for the sick and invalids from India, instead of sending them at once to England. A passage of thirty days, the period stated in the report as necessary for vessels to go from India to Swan River, is inconsiderable in comparison with the length of time required to make the voyage to Europe, and at Swan River the advantages to an invalid in point of climate would, I have no doubt, be greater than in England. The establishment, however, if to any extent, must be effected directly from England or India, totally independent of this colony, Swan River being too remote and the voyage too uncertain to admit of its depending on this place for its supplies. It will be seen by the report that Captain Stirling considers that Swan River possesses all the advantages with references to the trade with the Eastern Islands, which attach to Melville Island, or any part of the north-west coast of this territory. Among the natural advantages of the Swan River, it will be observed that good water is abundant. The country is, besides, favourable for cultivation, the soil in general being excellent, some specimens of which, and of the natural productions of the country, I do myself the honour to forward to Your Lordship by this opportunity. And the scenery is represented as at once grand and picturesque..
It is much to be regretted that the water at the entrance of Swan River is not of a greater depth, there being only about 6 ft. for a mile above its mouth. More particularly as Melville Water, through which it flows, appears to be a commodious and magnificent basin. Nautical men can, however, best determine whether the advantages of the external anchorages of Gage Roads and Cockburn Sound are likely to compensate for the inconvenient nature of the river. As Captain Stirling's visit to Swan River may attract attention and the report find its way into the French papers it appears desirable, should His Majesty's Government entertain any intention of forming a settlement at that place, that no time should be lost in taking the necessary steps.
This recommendation appears to have been conveyed to England by Captain Stirling in person. After consideration the Government decided to give effect to it, and to Stirling was entrusted the charge of organizing the expedition.
In the meantime, while preparations were being made in England for the establishment of the colony, instructions were sent to Commodore Schomberg, of the Indian Squadron, to take possession of the territory. In pursuance of these orders Captain Charles Fremantle, of H.M.S. "Challenger," was detailed for the purpose, and on May 2, 1829, he anchored off the mouth of the Swan, and hoisting the British flag on the South Head took formal possession, in the name of H.M. George IV., of "all that part of New Holland which is not included within the territory of New South Wales."
Thus the principal reason for the establishment of Western Australia was the fear entertained both in England and New South Wales that France had formed the intention of occupying a portion of the continent. A few years later it was admitted that such fears were groundless. The French expeditions had all one of two objects in view—the advancement of science or the discovery of the fate of La Pérouse. The Earl of Ripon in 1833, writing in reference to the matter, said:—"The present settlement at Swan River owes its origin, you may perhaps be aware, to certain false rumours which had reached the Government of the intentions of a foreign power to establish a colony on the west coast of Australia. The design was for a time given up entirely on the ground of public economy, and would not have been resumed but for the offer of a party of gentlemen to embark in an undertaking of this nature, at their own risk, upon receiving extensive grants of land, and on a certain degree of protection and assistance for a limited period being secured to them by this Government."
CHAPTER IV.
COLONIZATION AND EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The English Government having decided, as we have seen in the preceding chapter, to proceed with the settlement at Swan River it became necessary to draw up the conditions under which the new colony was to enter upon its existence. It is more than probable—in fact, according to Lord Derby's statement it is certain—that the framing of these conditions was both influenced and expedited by a proposal made by a syndicate consisting of Mr. Thomas Peel (a relative of Sir Robert Peel, the then Home Secretary), Sir Francis Vincent, Mr. E. W. H. Schenley, and Colonel T. Potter Macqueen. These gentlemen appear to have been led to formulate their scheme through the favourable reports of the country given by Captain Stirling. By a