20 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



left Melbourne. The enormous outfit was practically abandoned, 

 some of it on the road up, the greater part at Menindie ; and Burke 

 hastened on with seven of his party, 15 horses, and 16 camels, convey- 

 ing stores calculated to last six months. There need not have been the 

 fiasco of Wright's attempt to take the remainder of the party and some 

 of the stores to Cooper's Creek, nor the terrible loss of life which fol- 

 lowed. There would not have been the necessity for search parties to 

 be sent out to seek for Burke and his companions, nor the very great 

 expenditure which was thereby incurred by the several colonies. I 

 feel with regret that this was brought about by the unwise haste with 

 which Burke pushed on ahead of his party and its supplies, apparently 

 determined to cross the continent before Stuart. 



As time went on and no word came from Burke great uneasiness 

 was felt in Victoria, and on the 18th of June, 1861, the Exploration 

 Committee decided to send out a party in search of the expedition. I 

 was chosen for the important position of leader, and, with three com- 

 panions, started by Cobb's coach for Swan Hill, where I was to pur- 

 chase the necessary horses and otherwise complete my outfit. But 

 my plans were altered by meeting Brahe at the Loddon, on his way 

 to Melbourne to report the arrival at Menindie of Wright, and also to 

 report that Burke had left Cooper's Creek, with Wills, Grey, and King, 

 on the 16th December. 



In view of the serious position indicated by this information, no 

 time was lost in reorganising my party, so that on the 14th of July I 

 again started, with an increased party and outfit. I was to purchase 

 horses at Swan Hill, to procure the necessary supplies at Menindie for 

 a five months' absence, to follow Burke's track, and ascertain, if pos- 

 sible, what had become of him and his three companions. 



Menindie, our point of departure from civilisation, was at that 

 time an infant among townships. It consisted mainly of a public- 

 house, a store, and a lockup. It was a place on the frontier of settle- 

 ment, and, apart from the pastoral interest localised in sheep and cattle 

 runs on the Eiver Darling, essentially belonged to exploration. As I 

 wrote at that time, it was a place where parties were fitted out for trips 

 in search of country for new runs, and the principal conversation was 

 about who was out and who had come in, what country they had seen, 

 what country they had taken up, the new waters discovered, and 

 especially what parties had had " brushes with the niggers." The 

 conduct and the qualifications of explorers were discussed in a critical 

 manner by the bearded conclave which assembled at the public-house. 

 The people about had a thorough veteran bushman look, and beards, 



