The name of the Central Mountain appears in the published journal as _Stuart_. This is probably due to a mistake of the publisher's, which remained uncorrected, as Stuart was very ill when his journal was printed. FROM WEST TO EAST. I. ALONG THE BIGHT +Source.+--Explorations in Australia (John Forrest, 1875), pp. 83-94, 107-114, 121-135. In 1870 Forrest set out to explore the country along the Bight. It had previously been considered desert land, but the expedition discovered valuable country behind the cliffs. We started from Perth on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 30th of March 1870. His Excellency the Governor accompanied us for about three miles on the Albany Road. We had fifteen horses, and provisions sufficient for the journey to Esperance Bay, a distance of about 450 miles, where it was arranged further supplies would await us. _May 18th._ Esperance Bay. After starting the party went in advance with Billy to prepare camp at Israelite Bay. When we reached it, were delighted to find the _Adur_ lying safely at anchor there; proceeding on board found all well. Procured abundance of water by digging one foot deep in the sand-hills, and good feed a short distance from camp. Our friends on the _Adur_ were looking anxiously for us. We were two days behind the appointed time, and they feared some evil had befallen us, not taking into consideration the many delays incidental to such a journey through strange and difficult country as we had made. On the 24th of May we determined to celebrate the Queen's birthday. All hands from the _Adur_ came ashore, and I drew them up in line under the Union Jack, which was duly hoisted near the camp. We presented arms; sang "God Save the Queen" vigorously, and fired a salute of twenty-one guns, finishing with three cheers. I venture to record that our vocal efforts were as sincerely and heartily made in the Australian wilderness as any which rang that day in any part of Her Majesty's wide dominions. We were all highly delighted--not only feeling that we had done our duty as loyal subjects, but other celebrations in more civilized places were forcibly recalled to memory. _June 22nd._ Saddled up at dawn, and steering southerly over clear, open grassy plains for twenty-eight miles, we reached the cliffs, and rested an hour; after which we continued our journey and reached camp a little after dark, finding all well. _June 23rd._ Made preparations for a start for Eucla to-morrow, and put everything in travelling order. During my absence, Osborn had got the horses' feet in order, and the pack-saddles had been overhauled and repairs generally made. In looking round the camp, Tommy Windich found shoulder-blade of a horse and two small pieces of leather. They no doubt belonged to Mr. Eyre's equipment, and, on reference to his journal, I find he was here obliged to kill a horse for food.