With twenty-five Malays and Amboinese carriers, he reached Port Moresby in Sir Peter's yacht, the Governor Blackall. Arriving too late for the dry season of that year, he established a camp to the east of the Astrolabe mountains, in the Sogeri country, whence explorations were conducted for many miles round the camp, and surveys made of the region. Toward the end of the year, he accompanied Sir Peter as a scientific expert on his journey along the north-eastern coast to Nutre rock and the Boundary Cape, on the 8th parallel of south latitude, the line of separation between the German and English spheres of influence. On this journey Sir Peter contracted the illness which so suddenly and unexpectedly proved fatal. His illness and death prevented the signing of the papers to authorise the payment of the contribution which was largely to support the expedition. Mr. Forbes maintained the expedition at Sogeri as long as the public and his own private resources could afford, in the hope that Sir Peter's successor, the Hon. J. Douglas, would contribute the sum well known to have been promised by Sir Peter Scratchley to the expedition, but not seeing his way to do this, he appointed Mr. Forbes Resident at Dinner Island, and subsequently Government Meteorologist at Port Moresby, whence he was in 1887 instructed to conduct an exploration towards Mount Owen Stanley via the Goldie Valley. This expedition reached the very base of the mountain, and would have without doubt attained the summit but for the unexpected attack on the main camp by the natives of Ebe, during Mr. Forbes' absence, in which everything was looted. This calamity necessitated a withdrawal from the region back to the coast, which was effected without loss of life, though after many hardships. Returning to England in March 1888, Mr. Forbes was appointed in July to succeed the late Sir Julius von Haast as Director of the Canterbury Museum at Christchurch, N.Z., a position he held till 1892. He has contributed to the transactions of various learned societies.
Forbes, Sir William Stuart, Bart., son of Charles Hay Forbes, second son of the 7th baronet of that name, of Pitsligo and Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, by his marriage with Jemima Rebecca, daughter of the late Alexander Donaldson Macdonell, of Glengarry, was born on June 16th, 1835, and emigrated to New Zealand, where he resides at Carterton, near Wellington. In 1865 he married Marion, daughter of J. Watts, of Bridgend, Nelson, N.Z., and in the following year succeeded as 9th baronet on the death of of his uncle, Sir John Stuart Hepburn Forbes, when the family estates descended to the latter's daughter, who married the 20th Baron Clinton.
Ford, Richard, Commissioner of Railways, Victoria, was educated at the college in Shaw Street, Liverpool, and went to Victoria in 1852. He returned to England in 1854, and held an appointment under the Liverpool Dock Trust for three years. Coming out again to Australia in 1858, he was engaged in a solicitor's office, and subsequently as a share broker at Daylesford. Returning to Ballarat, he held the offices of Town Clerk and City Treasurer for six years. In 1877 he was appointed Secretary to the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commission, and visited England in 1883 to assist in the flotation of a loan of £250,000. Soon after his return to the colony he was appointed one of the Victoria Railway Commissioners, Mr. Richard Speight and the late Mr. Alfred J. Agg being his colleagues. His tenure of office expired in 1891, but was again renewed under modified conditions. In March 1892 Mr. Ford and his colleagues were suspended on an allegation of inefficiency. In June, however, as the result of negotiations with the Government, they agreed to resign, receiving a sum equal to half the salary for the remainder of the unexpired term for which they were appointed in 1891 by way of compensation.
Forrest, Alexander, M.L.A. younger brother of the Hon. John Forrest, Premier of Western Australia (q.v.), was born in that colony in 1849, and is one of the most eminent of the explorers of Western Australia. He accompanied his brother's expeditions in 1870 and 1874. On Jan. 18th, 1879, with a party of five and two natives, with twenty-six horses and six months' provisions, he started from Perth to explore the north-west portion of Australia, Port Darwin being their ultimate destination, which was reached on Oct 6th. The chief results of this expedition were the discovery of the source
170
