On April 23rd, in a small chartered vessel, two of the Dempster brothers, William and Edward, George Maxwell and Victorian, G M Lanarch, left from Albany. The coastal cutter Amelia also carried their horses and provisions. The party landed at Point Malcolm where they travelled by land attempting to travel inland.
Dry conditions, salt lakes, swamps and large sand dunes forced them back to the coast. They ventured along the coast, naming Point Dempster at Israelite Bay, as they headed eastwards ,towards the head of the Bight to Point Culver. Not being able to penetrate inland, they returned to Point Malcolm. Edward and William continued by land while G M Lanarch returned by ship to Albany, where he lodged a leasehold application on Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago.
The Dempster brothers continued on overland to the north and explored the land towards Mount Ragged, reaching Young and Lort Rivers. They found the pastoral country of Esperance plains. The brothers returned to Northam after the duration of four months.
Rica Erickson, The Dempsters: (Perth University of Western Australia Press, 1978,) p.81
