The small extent of the surface of Tasmania rendered the matter of internal discovery a comparatively light matter. True, it had its bold mountains and forests, much denser than those of the Australian continent, but all lying within so narrow a circle that they precluded the possibility of expeditions of discovery, and consequently of those stirring adventures in that field of action which the wide area of Australia occasioned. There are a few facts, however, connected with the progress of opening up the country, and the fate of its native population which ought to find a record in these volumes.

The first communication between Hobart Town and Launceston was opened by Lieutenant Laycock and his party; they were nine days on the journey, and their unexpected appearance excited great astonishment at Hobart Town. A loaded cart was subsequently sent to Launceston, and passed over the country without felling a single tree.

Much of the exploration of the island was made by nameless emigrants. The hunters were also pioneers, but beyond the general features of the scenery, they afforded little information; wild cattle were the better guides. To provide a settlement for strangers, William Sorell, the third lieutenant-governor, explored the region lying between the Shannon and the Clyde to its junction with the Derwent, free from timber, and within twenty miles of navigable waters. In this district were located several distinguished settlers.