INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 39 



Elizabeth, Pernatty, and Beda. The Major, however, refused my 

 request, and I had no alternative but to leave to others to reap the 

 fruit of my own labor, and I have no doubt but that the Major, with 

 his accustomed energy, will solve this question, now made easy by 

 the late rains, before his return to town. My own belief, from what 

 I then and subsequently saw, is that Lake Torrens turns up to Yarra- 

 wurta at its northern end as at its southern end it does to the Beda 

 arm, and that between Yarrawurta and Lake Gregory there are only 

 a few small isolated salt lakes, similar to Lake Phibbs, sufficient, how- 

 ever, to impress Eyre, who, I believe, only saw this country from a 

 distance, with the idea that he saw the loom of a continuous lake." 

 Parliamentary Paper, South Australia, 1858, No. 159. Letter 

 with enclosure from Major Warburton relative to exploration in the 

 neighborhood of Lake Torrens — " Police Commissioner's Office, 

 Adelaide, December 10th, 1858. Sir — Since I had the honor of trans- 

 mitting my report of the 3rd instant I have read Mr. Babbage's official 

 despatch of the 21st November, 1858. The annexed extract from that 

 despatch requires some notice from me, because either I, by the sup- 

 pression of truth, have assumed to myself a credit which is not due to 

 me, or else Mr. Babbage, by a direct statement of what is not true, 

 has endeavored to conceal his own incapacity by robbing others of 

 such credit as might fairly belong to them. I have underlined the 

 particular portion of Mr. Babbage's dispatch to which I solicit your 

 attention. Extract — ' I pointed out this place to Major Warburton, 

 explaining my reasons for my belief, and offered to accompany him in 

 an examination of it. As this proposal did not seem to suit his plans, 

 I requested him to let one of my late party — Jones — accompany me, 

 that I might examine the country in this direction, and, if I found it 

 practicable, to return to Adelaide by Eyre's tracks on the eastern side 

 of the lake, and, if not, I might at anv rate have a companion in the 

 long ride to Port Augusta, via the Elizabech, Pernatty, and Beda. 

 The Major, however, refused my request, and I had no alternative hut 

 to leave to others to reap the fruit of my oivn labor.'' It would appear 

 from Mr. Babbage's account that the ' labor ' of discovering a passage 

 across Lake Torrens was his, whilst I have reaped the fruit of labor 

 not my own. I am compelled to give an emphatic contradiction to 

 Mr. Babbage's statement, and I leave you to judge on whose side the 

 preponderating evidence shows the truth to rest. In the first place, 

 I make my plea by declaring solemnly and sincerely, on my honor as 

 a gentleman, that in finding the crossing of Lake Torrens I received 

 assistance from no one, excepting my immediate companions — Mr. 

 A. J. Baker and Corporal Coward. The views I had 'previously formed 

 received confirmation by what Mr. Forster told me on the 2nd October. 

 He stated that when at Stuart's Creek the native had wished Mr. Stuart 

 and himself not to go further, but to return direct to the northern 

 settlements. Before leaving Adelaide I had determined to try and find 

 a passage ; but whilst on board the Marion it struck me that Corporal 

 Burrt, of the mounted police, stationed at Angepina, might, if I suc- 

 ceeded, be useful in conveying the intelligence to Adelaide, and for 



