for the year 1864. lxix 



at once, and -the task of organizing the Expedition was 

 confided to the Exploration Committee of the Royal 

 Society, and vigorously commenced. Five thousand pounds 

 worth of camels, both of the swift and of the strong carry- 

 ing breeds, were sent for to India, and on their arrival the 

 members of the party were appointed, and equipped with a 

 most ample provision of stores of every kind that could be 

 useful. 



When the most advanced portion of the party with their 

 stores had reached Cooper's Creek a depot was formed 

 there, and left in charge of Mr. Brahe and a small party, 

 while the leader, R. O'Hara Burke, with only Wills and 

 King and Gray pushed on, and gave to this colony the 

 glory of sharing in then.' brilliant achievement of first 

 opening up a path across the Continent, and proving that 

 the great interior, instead of being a barren arid waste, as 

 was previously supposed, was in reality for the most part a 

 rich pastoral country, opening a boundless future of great- 

 ness to our colony, which, from its commanding position on 

 the seaboard, and Great Melbourne and Murray River 

 Railway, must reap all the material advantages to be derived 

 from supplying the wants and receiving the merchandise of 

 the settlers, who are so rapidly taking up the new country. 

 Not only may this direct route possibly afford a line for 

 telegraphic communication by Batavia and India with Eng- 

 land, but our Exploration Committee can claim, by the 

 labours of the explorers sent out on the main and subse- 

 quent assistant expeditions, to have achieved the valuable 

 result of showing the connection by a wide tract of fertile, 

 well-grassed, and comparatively well- watered country between 

 the lands discovered by Leichhardt on the Burdekin, those of 

 Burke towards Carpentaria, those discovered by Stuart 

 towards Arnhem's Land, and those of the two Gregory's 

 from North West Australia to the Northern parts of West 



