THREATENED INVASION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Kumara Times, Issue 1108, 19 April 1880, Page 4

THREATENED INVASION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

[SYDNEY TELEGEPH]. About two years ago a company was formed by the Marquis de Rays, the Bolivian Consul in Havre, for the purpose of fitting out a vessel and proceeding in the form of an armed expedition to take possession of the northern half of Western Australia, and form an independent colony under the name of Port Breton. Prospectuses was issued, setting forth the intentions of the promoters, dilating upon the vast resources and great natural wealth of the territory, and expressing determination to seize and hold the land in spite of England or her colonies. Tfae first prospectus opened with the observation that “ colonies have from all time made the grandeur and fortune of nations,” and having indulged in other flowery expressions of similar purport, it went on to say:—“ We intend to found on the English plan, a free institution designed for the vast expansion of Colonial enterprise. The vast solitudes of Australia throughout the north-west, adjoining our settlement, belong to no one. No Government has any claim upon these immense tracts, partly discovered by the French nation ; no savage people and no settled tribe cultivate the. ground-—only a few wandering families of timid blacks pass over the limitless waste. The land belongs to the first occupier. It is only necessary to settle in sufficient number to organise upon a sound basis, and with sufficient means, under a Government agreed upon and accepted beforehand. We now ask you for means, and we now offer you this Government. To us then belongs the future. On the ocean shore of a new port and a new country we shall establish the perpetuity of our families and band down our memory to posterity,” Our reader will begin to thing by this time, probably, that the Marquis de Rays had perpetrated a good joke; but, however the affair may turn out, no joke was intended. A second prospectus was issued, which said : “ Our enterprise is not to be that of an ordinary industrial or commercial society, resting upon shares, or a company. It is a special work for the creation of a new full colony, as several already exist upon the Australian continent. We therefore offer by lot the land for colonisation to all those who are willing to accept us as leaders.” And after giving a detailed account of the form of government to be established the promoters wound up with the appropriate exclamation, “ Then to work, and God help us!” The promoters, however did not confine themselves to panegyrics on the country they intended to take, but combined their praises with the practical operation of selling land at five francs an acre. How much of Western Australia they disposed of, the papers do not show 5 but as the capital was fixe-® at 2,000,000 francs, and the company has been fully floated, we may presume that a good slice has been cut off—in imagination, if not in fact. The Marquis and his coadjutors appear to have had some correspondence with the British ambassador at Paris, for we find the following copy of a letter amongst the papers.—“To the English Ambasa^ or , I have the honor to acknowledge the letter which you have adressed to me informing me that the English Government cannot allow the establishment of the free colony of Port Breton in the northwest part of the Australian continent We did think that under the Australian’ sun—under the sovereignity of free England—there was room also for a French undertaking. We are sorry to find we are deceived. Nevertheless, we intend to carry to these new shores the sacred remembrance of our old country We will give it in perfect freedom the grandest horizon, and its fertile sentiment will alone support our work. One day it will be great,— l have, etc., Oh. Du Beeil, Marquis de Rays.” In accordance with these plans the French barque Ohandernagore was chartered and armed for the expedition in August last, but the authorities of Havre refused to allow the passengers to empark. The vessel then proceeded to Antwerp, but the Belgian authorities als.o prevented them from their design. At Flushing however, on the Netherlands coast they were more successful, and the party wont on board and set sail. New Caledonia was first visited, and overtures made to the Government to recognise the expedition and co-operate with its leaders. This however, the Government refused to do, and it was afterwards sought to land under the protection of the American flag, but as the United States Consul would have nothing to do with the affair, the barque set sail for New Ireland on the' coast of New Guinea, where she landed her passengers, numbering in all 240. Ten days ag® she arrived in Port Jackson! and is still lying in the. harbor. So far as we can gather, the intention is to load up withshale and return to Europe coming back again with another load of colonists,” and then to carry out the original intention, ahd take forcible possession of the larger half of Western Australia.