Mr. F. S. Brockman, continued,

1251. The Country is merely subject to thunderstorms , and there is no rainfall ? — All long the coast the rainfall is pretty good , but within 20 miles of the coast there is practically no rainfall at all.

1252. Can fresh water be obtained on the coast? — Yes ; it is well watered country on the coast.

1253. By Mr.Harper : Mr. Hogarth was no further West than you point out ? — I have a rough pencil sketch here , made by Mr. Hogarth (handing it in)

1254. By Hon. R. G. Burges : How long would it take to run a trial survey through the country, from the coast to Southern Cross; that would be about 240 miles? — It would take about three months after the party were on the ground.

1255. By Mr. Harper: But we would not want a survey; we would simply want a report? — That ought to be done in three weeks.

1256. By Mr. Richardson: From the time that the party or you got definite instructions to send a party exploring to survey a line of fence from the coast up to the Eastern Railway line, how long would it take them before they got ready to start away, so as to send us in a report ? — Between the Railway line and the coast?

1257. Yes? — You only want between the coast and the railway line about 250 miles. There are no camels available, and you would have to procure them at Coolgardie. If instructions were given to a Government party to procure camels to go through the country and give a description of it for your purpose, probably it would take one month to get the camels on the ground, and I should say it would take one month after that to give you the details.

1258. It would be two months from the time you got definite instructions until the time the party would be through ? — Yes; that is always supposing whatever expense was necessary was going to be incurred. There are men available.

1259. There are good men available in your department who could be told off to undertake the work ? — Yes.

1260. And you believe the camels could be procured? — I am sure they can be procured at Coolgardie, but I do not know at what price. If camels could be brought down to Southern Cross in a week, suitable men could be put on at Southern Cross also within a week.

1261. By Hin. R. G. Burges: Would it not be advisable to send a party fully equipped right away at once to make a rough survey? — You can not make very much of a rough survey. The men who went through there with a camel party could leave no permanent mark that a contractor could follow.

1262. By Mr. D. Forrest: You could go through and make a flying visit, and then make a more permanent survey when coming back ? — The trouble in putting a fence along the country is in avoiding the salt lakes; therefore, it would be neccessary to have a competent surveyor to select the line, and to form one of the supervising party on the construction.

1263. By Mr. Richardson; Would you agree that the best modus operandi would be to send a flying party out in charge of a competent surveyor to traverse the country and report on the best line to be erected? — I think the general knowledge of the country which we now have should avoid the necessity for a flying survey. I do not think it would give you more information than you have already got.

1264. From the records you have , you consider there is nothing impracticable or impassable in running a fence through the country indicated? — There can be nothing impracticable; the only difficulty is water.

1265. There is water on the coast? — Yes.

1266. By Mr. D. Forrest; Then you only want a surveyor to strike the line out? — Yes . But you could make a survey quicker than the fence could follow the surveyor. If you want detailed information, I think Mr. Hogarth could give it to you. We have detailed information with regard to Parker's Range and all the country round about there.

1267. And the inference is that the country following is not very different? — No.

1268. By Mr. Harper : Supposing you came more West? — We know less of that country, but I think you may reasonably assume it is similar.

1269. There is only one more question I would like you to answer, and that is in reference to the water courses; are you troubled with them? — No; only along the coast. There is one thing I should like to tell you; it is not within my own knowledge; but Dr. Stewart of Guildford in speaking of a trip he made along that coast a few years a go in 1888 or 1889, told me that at the mouth of the Oldfield River, where Campbell Taylor had a sheep station, there were a large number of grey rabbits there. They were not rabbits which had come from other places but they had been let loose on the coast. When i was there in 1895 I saw no sign of them and there was no talk of rabbits them. I never heard of rabbits in 1895 when I was through this country.

1270. If these rabbits had been there and had increased , you could not have helped seeing them or indications of them ? — At least I should have heard of them.

(The witness retired)

The commission adjourned.