INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 41 



fellow who accompanied Stuart and Forster had tried to persuade 

 them to return that way. The next day, on our march back to Stuart's 

 Creek, Mr. Babbage said to me that he intended to ask you to allow 

 him to have one man and sufficient provisions to enable him to reach 

 the nearest stocked run east of Lake Torrens. On the Monday morn- 

 ing, before leaving Stuart's Creek, Mr. Babbage came down while we 

 were at breakfast, and before all the men belonging to both parties 

 asked you to allow him to have one man and sufficient provisions that 

 he may try and cross Lake Torrens, and return to Adelaide by that 

 route. Your reply was, ' My instructions were to recall you, Mr. 

 Babbage — not to prolong your exploration duties, as I should be doing 

 were I to allow you to seek for a crossing over Lake Torrens ; nor do 

 I think I could, in justice to myself and party, send you to reap the 

 credit of my plans, should there prove to be a practicable crossing ; 

 nor do I think you ought to expect me to do so, knowing, as you do, 

 that you had no idea of looking for a crossing until after I had laid my 

 plans before you. By any known route you can return, and I shall 

 be happy to allow you to take any one of your late party with you 

 you choose.' Mr. Babbage then offered to accompany you, which 

 offer you refused, stating that ' I cannot at present say which course 

 I shall take ; in fact, I shall most likely go back by the Elizabeth, after 

 satisfying myself as to the practicability of crossing Lake Torrens. 

 I have desired Mr. Charles Gregory to plant stores at the Elizabeth ; 

 I therefore think, for the sake of your own property left at the Elizabeth, 

 you had better return there. However, you are welcome to go by any 

 known route you please, and I shall be most happy to render you every 

 assistance in my power to make your journey agreeable.' Mr. Babbage 

 then made this reply aloud, and before the whole of the men, ' But, 

 Major Warburton, only consider what the people of Adelaide will say, 

 when they hear that I have been within a few miles of this crossing 

 for the last three weeks, yet never went to explore it. They will bring 

 this against me as another proof of my incapacity.' — I have, &c., 

 Arthur John Baker. To Major P. E. Warburton, Commissioner 

 of Police, &c., Adelaide." 



Parliamentary Paper, 1858, No. 166. Li a letter, dated December 

 11th, 1858, the Commissioner of Crown Lands requested Major War- 

 burton to add to his letter " some remarks more in detail as to the 

 reasons which induced him to return, at the time he did, from the 

 exploration which terminated at the Davenport Kanges." To this 

 Major Warburton replied on the 14th December. The parts of this 

 letter which I quote occu.r at pages 5 and 6, and are as follows : — 

 " I originally intended to try for a passage before proceeding north- 

 wards, because I thought that if I found a passage I should then, 

 having a certainty of getting fresh horses at Angepina for my return, 

 be able to take more work northward out of those I then had than I 

 should have dared to take with the prospect of the long and bad journey 

 back via the EUzabeth and Port Augusta. • • • • i changed my 

 plan : determining to make a short excursion north-west of Stuart's 

 Creek first ; then to return, run the creek down, look for Mr. Babbage' s 



