34 AUSTRALIA. [Feb. 11, 1856. 



him. The discovery of water here was rendered still more pleasing in conse- 

 quence of Captain Wickham having signified to us his doubts of the existence 

 of fresh water at Blunder Bay. We returned to the ship immediately, and 

 dropped down the river with the tide to go in search of the ' Monarch,' and 

 on the second day after, found her at Point Pearce landing the horses ; the 

 pretext for doing so, being that the stock of water had been exhausted, and the 

 cattle suffering for want of it. The captain was blamable in having refused 

 to take in water on the voyage, where he could have done it conveniently. A 

 number of the horses having been landed when we arrived, the work was neces- 

 sarily continued. The ship lay anchored two miles from the beach, and thC' 

 horses had to be towed that distance. Five of them were drowned, and three 

 died aboard : altogether we have lost eight out of fifty horses. Water was 

 found with some difficulty by Mr. Gregory's brother, 6 miles from the land- 

 ing, where the horses are now encamped, and fast improving. The horses 

 and a part of our company are to proceed round the head of the Fitzmaurice 

 to the Victoria at Kangaroo Point, where the schooner and the remainder 

 of the party are to await their arrival. The country to be crossed consists of 

 rugged sandstone hills, and possibly is as bad as any that we shall have to 

 travel over. Mr. Gregory was on board the ' Tom Tough ' from the time the 

 * Monarch ' was got off the reef ; his object being to keep in advance, and 

 to lead the ' Monarch ' up ; and I think that advantage was taken of his 

 absence, to land the horses short of their destination — the navigation of the 

 river being beyond the limits of the ' Monarch's ' insurance. 



Several sketches by Mr. T. Baines, the artist to the N. Australian 

 Expedition, were laid on the table. 



Sir R. Murchison rose to express his regret that the report of Mr. Austin, 

 or at least portions of it, could not be read at greater length. Although a 

 blue-book, it was an Australian blue-book, and very different from those we 

 are accustomed to see. It was accurately and humorously written, and 

 illustrated by lithographic sketches. 



Sir lioderick then referred to the journey through West Australia made 

 many years ago by Lieuts. Grey and Lushington, the former now the Governor 

 of the Cape, stating that they first pointed out the Glenelg River, Arrowsmith 

 River, Murchison Mount, and other characteristic features ofN.W. and W. 

 Australia. Some fertile tracts are found, but they are few and far between. 

 There is a remarkable absence of limestone in North-west Australia ; great 

 variety of vegetation where it did exist, and eruptive rocks very prevalent over 

 the surface. He then pointed out the main object of the present expedition 

 to North Australia, viz., to discover the source of the great river Victoria, to 

 trace the line of watershed eastward into the interior as far, it was hoped, as 

 the source of the Albert, in order to connect the new explorations with those 

 of Sturt, and Mitchell, and Kennedy. He thought it was a most praiseworthy 

 undertaking, as it would tend to the establishment of a colony in North Aus- 

 tralia, which would materially strengthen the powerful position we already 

 held in the East. It was besides a most necessary undertaking, as our 

 countrymen are gradually finding their way into North Australia from the 

 South. The establishment of a colony would then probably lead to the adop- 

 tion of a route overland, and ultimately through the Gulf of Carpentaria, so 

 as to avoid the dangerous passage through Toitcs Strait. 



Count Strzelecki bore testimony to many statements contained in Mr. 

 Landor's letter, and expressed his opinion that the paucity of positive facts 

 and observations collected upon this important subject is such, that it makes 

 it hazardous, as yet, for a meteorologist to venture upon a theory, which would 



