Considering the progress that we were making in agriculture, it was high time we sought to enlarge our borders.

Although it was true that the band of explorers who were now before them had only made a line through the country, we must remember that it would be a base-line for future operations.

Their work was very different to making a forced march of two or three days when it was known there was permanent water ahead.

The explorer had carefully and deliberately to feel his way into unknown country, and if he went a mile or two too far he could not retrace his steps, and we could not attach too much importance to the services of those individuals who had risked their lives in that way.

It was said, when Edward John Eyre made that wonderful journey of his along the coast of Western Australia, that he had done nothing but gone along the coast; but along that very line there would be a telegraph to connect this colony with Western Australia.