490 ■ GREGORY'S NORTH AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. [June 22, 1857. 



The President, inclosing the discussion, said it was evident that the island 

 was destined to become a valuable possession of the British crown. The posi- 

 tion it occupied, and the mineral riches it contained, with the probability of 

 finding more, all tended to indicate its future value to our country. 



The second Paper read was — ■ 



2. Continuation of the Report of the North Australian Expedition* 



Communicated by the Right Hon. H. Labouchere, f.r.g.s., h. m. Secretary 

 of State for the Colonies. 



Sydney, 7th January, 1857. 



Sir — I have the honour to transmit, for the information of his 



Excellency the Governor-General, an outline of the proceedings of 



the North Australian Expedition, from the period of leaving the 



Victoria, on the 2 1 st June, to the IGth December, 1856, when the 



expedition reached Brisbane. 



2. The exploration of the interior, beyond the sources of the Vic- 

 toria River, having been carried to the full extent that the resources 

 of the expedition would admit, I made preparations for carrying out 

 that part of the instructions relating to the exploration of the country 

 between the Victoria and Albert Riveis. 



3. In making these arrangements it was desirable to provide 

 against any contingencies which might prevent the land party ob- 

 taining supplies from the Tom Tough at the Albert River, which I 

 had appointed as a rendezvous for the expedition ; and it thus be- 

 came necessary to reduce the land party to such a number that the 

 horses now remaining could convey a sufficient supply of provisions 

 for the whole journey to the out-stations in New South Wales, should 

 we be compelled to do so, without further assistance. 



4. I therefore organized a party of seven persons, consisting 

 of myself, Mr. H. Gregory, Mr. Elsey, Dr. Mueller, 0. Dean, 

 R. Bowman, and J. Melville. 



5. For the transport of this party and its equipment, only thirty- 

 four horses remained out of the fifty originally embarked at Moreton 

 Bay. Of these, seven were appropriated as saddle horses, and the 

 remaining twenty-seven for the conveyance of the stores, &c., which 

 comprised 1060 lbs. flour; 872 lbs. pork; 350 lbs. sugar; 380 lbs. 

 meat; — biscuit; 100 lbs. rice; 30 lbs. sago; 32 lbs. tea; 30 lbs. 

 coffee; 2000 rounds of ammunition; instruments; clothing; spare 

 harness, &c., — the whole weighing about 2 tons, exclusive of packages. 



6. Having instructed Mr. Baines to embark the remainder of the 

 exploring party and stores in the Tom Tough, and proceed to 



* See former Nos. of the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society. 



