326 GREGORY'S NORTH AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. [March 23, 1857. 



he believed that Dr. Leichhardt would under all circumstances follow out tins 

 route. He assigned as a special reason for doing so, that it would probably, 

 bring him to a tangent with the route formerly taken by Captain Sturt from 

 the southern coast, and he expected to intersect that line at almost right angles 

 by crossing from the east to the west of the continent of Australia. He pro- 

 posed to start from Moreton Bay, and to diverge slightly to the northwards iti 

 penetrating the interior ; then, after reaching Sturt's line, to go on to Perth on 

 the west coast. He was accompanied by Mr. Lynd, Avhose name had been 

 given to one of the rivers on the east coast. 



The President asked Mr. Wood whether it was his opinion that, in adven- 

 turing westward. Dr. Leichhardt had got lost in some of the sahne deserts in 

 the interior ? 



Mr. Wood was sorry to say that this was his opinion. 



Mr. Haug said that the deep interest which he took in the fate of Dr. 

 Leichhardt gave rise to the project which he had the honour to lay before the 

 Council three years ago. If Leichhardt had crossed the track of b^turt, or even 

 advanced more into the interior, it might have been supposed that Mr. Gregory 

 would have come u] )on some indications of the direction taken by Dr. Leich- 

 hardt. Still Mr. Gregory had not mentioned having heard from the natives 

 anything about Dr. Leichhardt. All who cherished geographical enterprise 

 would feel indebted to Mr. Sidney for the plan he had proposed, and he hoped 

 the Council would not be wanting in starting a new expedition for the purpose 

 of discovering something more of the fate of Dr. Leichhardt. 



Mr. p. L. Simmonds observed that he had, during some years past, paid 

 attention to this subject. He well remembered that, in his first expedition. 

 Dr. Leichhardt was given up ; and, as in the case of African travellers, he 

 was a httle sceptical about the fate of Leichhardt, until more satisfactory proof 

 of his fate had been obtained. Supposing that he did make his way to the 

 westward in the direction he intended, circumstances might have occurred to 

 cause him to diverge in some degree to the northward or the southward of the 

 proposed line of route. Travellers could hot always adhere to the plan they 

 laid down for themselves. With regard to the interior of Australia, the means 

 of support were not so hopeless as was supposed, for it was well known that 

 the aborigines lived on a variety of things produced by the soil. He was glad 

 to see the subject revived, and he could only hope that the Society would not let 

 it drop, without an effort to obtain some definite information as to the fate of the 

 missing party. Taking into consideration the vast extent of Australia, and the 

 slow progress that the party must make, having to find their own sustenance, 

 he did not think the time which had elapsed since the expedition started, should 

 lead to the conclusion that Leichhardt was hopelessly lost. 



Mr. W. J. Hamilton, f.r.g.s., rose with considerable reluctance, but 

 having taken a very great interest in the progress of Dr. Leichhardt, and be- 

 lieving that it was now almost hopeless to exjiect any satisfactory result from the 

 exploration proposed, he should wish — although most unwilling to throw cold 

 water upon any expedition likely to prove useful — before the Society was led away 

 by the hopeful expectations thrown out by Mr. Sidney, to ask a few questions. 

 In the first place, it had always been understood that Dr. Leichhardt would 

 proceed almost in a due west direction fi'om the parallel of Sydney or Moreton 

 Bay. With regard to that point he should like to ask Mr. Sidney where was 

 the point at which the ship was to meet the expedition after one year had 

 elapsed ? Next, he wished to know, how it was proposed that the parties 

 com})Osing the expedition, should carry provisions for themselves and fodder 

 for the horses through those arid districts, which constituted the princifial 

 feature of the interior? The nature of the country had been sufficiently 

 ascertained to lead to the conviction that, without carrying a very large supply 

 of provisions, both for the men and for the beasts, which would form tb.e staple 



