Reports of Committees. lxvii 



" Boutharambo House, August 9. 



" Sir, — I have received your circular of the 5th inst., inviting my 

 attention to the importance of the ' exploration of central Australia,' 

 and politely soliciting my subscription for the attainment of that 

 object. Could a doubt arise in any one's mind as to the advantages 

 which would result from a ' successful exploration of this vast con- 

 tinent,' that doubt would instantly be removed by the appendage of 

 the names submitted in your application. 



"I notice and appreciate the 'generous offer' of £1,000 of some- 

 body for the attainment of the object in contemplation ; and I feel 

 that I should be wanting in public spirit, and in gratitude for advan- 

 tages which I have received from my adopted country, if I did not, 

 as far as in me lies, meet the ' generous offer' by as wide an opening 

 of my purse as it will bear. Permit me, therefore, to send a cheque 

 for £100, which you will please to acknowledge. 



" Yours, &c, 



"JOSEPH DOCKER. 

 "D.E. Wilkie, Esq." 



There is still one other name which your Committee feel that they 

 would not be justified in omitting in this report. It is, however, 

 with unmingled feelings of sorrow that they venture to introduce it 

 on the present occasion. 



The gentlemen, whose name as a donor of £100 has hitherto been 

 withheld, is now no more. Not many days after making this generous 

 contribution, he was taken away from his sorrowing family and 

 friends by a sudden and awful death. 



In reply to our circular, he enclosed his subscription, stipulating 

 that his initials alone should appear in the published list. This was, 

 of course, complied with ; but as death has severed all his earthly 

 ties, your Committee considers itself relieved from any further obli- 

 gation to conceal the donor's name, and it is only due to the surviving 

 members of his family to read his letter to the Institute, and to 

 publish his noble generosity to the world : — 



" Koort Koortnong, August 23, 1859. 



" Sir — I am in receipt of a letter, dated 5th of August, and signed 

 by Messrs. Stawell, Hodgson, Mueller, Macadam, and Wilkie, 

 respecting the exploration of central Australia, and beg to state that 

 upon the first public intimation of the offer of £1,000 for this 

 purpose having been made, upon the condition of two being raised 

 by the public, I proposed to a few that we should subscribe a trifle 

 towards the object. At the time it was not received so favorably as 

 I expected, consequently the matter dropped. I now, however, have 

 the honor of sending you a cheque for £100, upon the condition that 



