I accordingly embarked my party and the stores in my possession at Port Louis on the 21st August 1838, and arrived on the 18th September at Swan River, where I lost no time in communicating my views to Sir James Stirling, who concurred in the plan for returning to the north-west; and it was arranged that as soon as the colonial vessel Champion, then absent on a voyage to St. George's Sound, should come back to the Swan, it should be prepared for the conveyance to Camden Bay of myself and party, reinforced by such additional persons as might feel disposed to proceed there at their own cost for speculative purposes. RETURN TO THE NORTH-WEST FRUSTRATED. It was not however until the month of December following that the Colonial schooner became disposable, and then new impediments arose from her being found so much in want of repair as to be, in Sir James Stirling's opinion, scarcely in a condition to proceed on such a voyage as we contemplated, whilst the repairs required were of a nature which could not be effected in the Colony. From these and other considerations, more especially the danger and disappointment likely to be experienced for want of proper equipment, which it was found very difficult to supply at the Swan in an effective and satisfactory manner, the expedition to the North-west was deemed unadvisable and for the present given up. It is unnecessary here to dwell on the mortification I felt at being obliged thus to abandon my long-cherished projects. The delays I had already experienced were sufficiently vexatious, but I had endeavoured to turn the time thus lost to some profit by endeavouring to acquaint myself with the resources of the country, as well as in acquiring information of a scientific nature, and I had attained such a knowledge of the language of the natives as enabled me to form a vocabulary of the different dialects spoken in these parts, which was printed and forwarded to England at the close of the year. My excursions into the country from Perth whilst awaiting the arrival and fitting out of the Champion were necessarily short, but the journal of one to the northward, made in company with my young friend Mr. Frederick Smith, who afterwards fell a sacrifice in the expedition to Shark Bay, will I think be interesting enough to be inserted here. EXCURSION TO THE NORTH OF PERTH. November 30. Mr. Smith and myself started at noon this day, accompanied by Corporal Auger and two natives, upon a trip in a northerly direction; about 5 P.M. we reached a lake distant about fifteen miles from Perth, and called by the natives Mooloore: we halted here for the night.