From South Australia the intelligence is frequent, and tolerably regu-
lar ; but of her elder and less fortunate sister, erst named Swan River and recently christened Western Australia, the accounts are few and far between. There is, however, a fair prospect of increased communica- tion with the latter colony, on which a brighter day has dawned. After ten years of almost fruitless struggles with a bad system of land-grant- ing and laud-jobbing, Western Australia is placed under a Governor who thoroughly understands the causes of prosperity in the Southerta settle- ment, and is resolved gradually to counteract, if it be yet possible to counteract, the mischievous consequences of "dispersing" the settlers over uncultivated wastes. Governor Hutt, however, has much to contend against. lie has not a tabula TUSU to write upon, or a clear stage on which to act. On the contrary, he has gone to a colony where the inhabitants are wedded to the system which has wrought their ruin. The experience of South Australia has not enlightened them. To that colony's pros- perity, (the best guarantee for their own under a similar system,) and Mr. Wakefield's evidence before the Colonial Lands Committee of 1836, they attribute their poverty and the failure of their speculations ; though, Cod knows, before South Australia existed in the imaginations of meu, or Mr. Wakefield's principle of colonization had been ex- pounded to a solitary disciple, the disasters of the Swan River settle- ment had been almost le/gotten in England. They taught, however, a useful lesson to some persons in this country ; -while the colonists, Who suffered, and ought to have profited most by the dire experience, are still persuaded that to give land ad libitum to all who ask for it, is the true way to make their adopted country prosperous and wealthy. They cannot deny their own failure, but to the great cause of it they are obsti- nately blind. There are now lying before its a series of letters from a resident in the colony ; who states, that much dissatisfaction has been created by Governor Ilutes first ell'orts to rescue the settlers from th_ woful plight in which he found them. And yet the writer cannot but admit that the new Coverlets saw abundant evidence that a change was needed, Even the Government-house was scarcely habitable,—no chimney- pieces or shutters, or skirting-boards; bare walls, " rough cast ;" with- out an article of furniture ; and the Colonial funds so low that his Excellency would have been puzzled to find in his treasury cash for a gridiron on which to broil his first slice of kangaroo. The same build- ing serves for a police-office and a church. Ten years and more has this colony been iu existence ; many thousands has it cost the Mother- country ; and yet not a decent place of worship has been erected ! It has happened, that persons going to be married have found the com- munion-table covered with police papers; and the officiating clergyman, being also an active magistrate, administers the law and the sacrament from the same place. There is no public bell or dock in the "capital," and people are summoned to divine service by the bugle. Some efforts have been made by the Governor to raise funds by subscription for the erection of a church ; but with what success does not appear.
With these evidences of poverty before him, Mr. Hutt's previous opinions of the " dispersive system" are not likely to be shaken—they must be confirmed and rooted stronger than ever. He knew church, a dissenting chapel, a theatre, and other public builds, gat been erected in Adelaide before that town was three years old- number of inhabitants in South Australia was, in January last 8,000, and of sheep 30,000, In the Swan River settlement, at period of' Mr. Hutt's arrival, the muster was 2,000 men, seem,- children, children, and 25,000 sheep. There was plenty of nothing execp4 mistaken people ; who, as we learn from the Perth Gazette, that the new Governor's refusal to sell fresh lots of unappropriated l,? beyond the limits of this ample area, would ruin the colony! quantities have been fbrfeited by the failure of Nevertheless, upwards of 30,000 square miles was not enough fon).-
purchasers to fu101th,
conditions of sale ; but when the Governor gave notice of his bawl' to resume these lands, an uproar was raised against him, as thot,q5? were an advantage to the colony that large tracts should remain derness!
These facts will give the reader some idea of the circumstaneesais
which the new Governor has to contend. His predecessor, Sit Sank,. Stirling—a clever titan, and much liked in the colony—was wedded the "dispersive system ;" which, we have been told, he defended plea that it prerented squatting and scattering, in a greater dogteeth* the plan of selling waste land adopted in Smith Australia. A persz so hopelessly fact-proof, whom experience could not convince of ego'? was precisely fitted to flatter the prejudices and postpone the ps, perity of the settlers. It is some excuse for thew perverse attache* to the old plan, that their rulers sedulously encouraged it: het "days of this ignorance " must pass away, and by degrees the naturs resources of the country will be developed.
The natural resources are various and excellent. The upper soilti
a rich, dark, sandy loam ; and you may raise almost any thing ou it- bananas, peaches, apricots, figs, grapes, all the English vegetables,* New Zealand flax. The flowers are beautiful and various. But,br way of showing in the most convincing manner that prosperity is x tamable in Western Australia, and what may be done by judiciously. severance, we cite the case of a hard-working Scotch farmer, whoa* out with Mr. Peel as his manager. When he found Mr. aye affairs going to ruin, the Scotchmau obtained permission to leave bins and retired, with a capital of four shillings, to a farm of 350 sus, granted to him for the trouble of asking, on the low lands about font miles from Perth. He had four sons and a daughter, and all it to work. They cleared, fenced, and converted into a productive garsel, a tract at that time called barren sand. lie raised his houses midst. buildings himself; and made a handsome profit annually from the sale of Indian corn, grapes, figs, and other articles cultivated in his garden, He has a large stock of goats, cows, and horses. This manilas realiai a considerable sum in the manner described, and is about to commute farming operations on a larger scale. This shows what may beams on share. But a source of wealth to this colony, at present utterly neglected, is the whale-fishery. The Americans send fleets of whalers to the coast of Western Australia, and generally have great SUM The colonists need not sail forty-eight hours before arriving at the waters which the Americans traverse thousands of miles to reach
The inhabitants of Freemantle have stood upon the heights of their town and seen the whole sport of whale-catching. Were a jetty of breakwater erected on one of the points of the Freemantle coast, to protect the shipping in Gage's Sound from the roll of the sea from the North-west during the winter season, the anchorage would be good for
the whole year. Under Governor Hutt's management, the resourcesof the colony, we should imagine, might be made available for this under. taking. There will soon be a land-fund there, as in South Australia; and it surely offers as fair security fur a loan as Irish Railroads or the Shannon Improvement scheme. Hitherto the Government has tahenall the money it could get from settlers, and given nothing in return but bare soil.
From the letters and papers written and published in 'Western Au•
stralia, it is plain that a jealousy and dislike of the Southern colony has been cherished there. Now this is excessively foolish. The two colo- nies might materially aid each other, and flourish side by side. ". The world's wide, and there's room for its all," It is no doubt a morbfica• tion to the settlers on Swain River to behold the new corners outstripping them in the race of prosperity ; but they have now a prospect of ink ing up for lost time and gaining upon their competitors. For oar own parts, we wish that both may win the race in a " dead heat."—Cutomul Gazette, 14th August.
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