auriferous deposits existing on this, the western side of the continent of
Australia, may prove geologically correct, and which theories, I believe,
are credited to one of our early explorers, Sir Roderick Murchison, would
it not be most interesting to the majority of your readers if you could
furnish them with the actual authenticated words made use of by Sir
Roderick in allusion to this subject, and also any other brief records
connected with the exploration trip—which so impressed him with the golden
prospects of Western Australia, as to cause him (so it is said) to so
boldly pronounce a scientific theory based on geological observation
alone, and which at that time must have been directly opposed to all
“practical” observations and opinion. It is just possible that some such
information as this might at least prove as acceptable and interesting, as
for instance, all those weary columns about Miss Achurch and Ibsen's
plays, that the Perth papers have so lately been deluged with.

While on the subject of the early history of the colony, must it not be a
matter of general regret, that though our oldest colonists are dropping
out one by one, there does not seem to be any literary effort being made
to preserve in the form of history any written record of our earliest
days, and I feel sure the early history of Western Australia, in which so
many of our parents and grand-parents played a prominent part, would prove
as interesting an historical volume as many others ; and perhaps in a few
years more the silent hand of death may have for ever prevented those who
now could furnish so many interesting facts and anecdotes from placing
them on record, and they thus will for ever perish—to our own disgrace.

Suppose a committee were formed, composed of old colonists and some
literary men whose business it should be to collect from our earliest
colonists now living all the necessary information and early historical
facts about the colony, carefully arrange these, and then have them edited
by some able pen, and I believe more than one could be found in Perth. Do,
sir, throw your influence into these matters.
Yours, etc.
A. W. RICHARDSON.

[We are not aware that Sir Roderick Murchison ever visited Western
Australia, or any other part of the Australian Continent. His predictions
concerning the discovery of gold in Australia were made from reports he
received of the geological formation of various parts, and not from a
personal inspection.—ED. W. A.]