Reports of Committees. lsix 



In reply, the following communication was received from Sir 

 William F. Stawell :— 



"October 19, 1859. 



" My dear Sir, — I enclose you a cheque for £1,000 — the unknown 

 donor's promised gift towards the Exploration Fund. Some little 

 delay has been occasioned in consequence of the desire on his part to 

 maintain his incognito, but I trust we may now set to work at once. 



The donor has requested me to return you his sincere thanks for 

 the very nattering letter sent him by the Committee. 



" Faithfully yours, 



" William F. Stawell. 



"Hon. D. E. Wilkie, M.D." 



The Committee cannot suppress its admiration for the disinterest- 

 edness of the donor, to continue even now to withhold his name. 



On receipt of the £1,000 an immediate and successful application 

 was made to the late Government to place the sum of £6,000 on the 

 Estimates for 1860, to supplement the £3,000 raised by private sub- 

 scription. 



It was also the desire of the United Committees to call an early 

 meeting of the subscribers, in order to adopt suitable measures for 

 carrying out the proposed object. 



Since all the arrangements for organising the party and providing 

 for its outfit must necessarily depend on the extent of means avail- 

 able for the purpose, and as the Camels and Dromedaries ordered from 

 India cannot be expected to arrive before March next, the Committee 

 deemed it desirable to suspend further action until by a vote of the 

 Legislature the means to be devoted for exploration should be fixed. 

 In the meantime, however, an application has been made to the pre- 

 sent Government to comfirm the promise made by its predecessor 

 to place the sum of £6,000 on the Estimates for Exploration, and 

 this has been very kindly conceded. 



In the meantime, also, most of the unpaid subscriptions have been 

 got in, and it has been resolved to call a public meeting of the sub- 

 scribers for Monday, the 23rd January, to receive our report (vide Ap- 

 pendix II.); and it is hoped that measures will be then adopted for 

 securing the successful issue of our past labours with as little delay as 

 possible. For this purpose it has been thought desirable that there 

 should be in future only one Exploration Committee, and that this 

 would be best accomplished by the subscribers entrusting the whole 

 management of the funds to the Exploration Committee of the Philo- 

 sophical Institute, and it is contemplated to move a resolution to 

 that effect at the meeting of the subscribers on the 23rd inst. 



There is eveiy reason to hope that the Legislative Assembly will 

 pass the vote of £6,000, but there is a possibility that it may be 

 voted conditionally on united action being taken on the subject of 

 exploration by the other Australian colonies. 



