xiv Report of Exploration Committee. 



REPORT OF THE " EXPLORATION " COMMITTEE OF 

 THE PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE OF VICTORIA, 



Brawn up by Drs. Wilkie, Mueller, and Macadam, adopted by 

 the Committee, and received at a Special General Meeting 

 of the Institute, held on the 22nd December, 1857. 



The Committee appointed at an Ordinary Meeting of the Philo- 

 sophical Institute of Victoria, held on the 11th of November, 1857, 

 for the purpose of inquiring into the practicability of fatting out in 

 Victoria an expedition for traversing the unknown interior of the 

 Australian Continent from east to west, beg to offer to the members 

 of the Institute this, the First Report of their Proceedings, and the 

 results arrived at in their inquiries ; and beg likewise to suggest such 

 a modification in the plan originally proposed as a careful investiga- 

 tion of the evidence and opinions of former Australian travellers has 

 induced them to adopt. 



At the first meeting of the Committee, held on the 14th of No- 

 vember, a strong desire manifested itself to foster, and that speedily 

 and with all means within their reach, the project brought under 

 their consideration. The desirability of Victoria taking a share in 

 the labors of revealing the unexplored portion of the interior of Aus- 

 tralia was unanimously acknowledged, and many members of the 

 Committee supported on that occasion, the motion of Dr. Wilkie, 

 namely, to adhere to the line of the tropic of Capricorn as far as the 

 nature of the country and other circumstances would permit. A 

 resolution was adopted to the effect that an appeal be made for pecu- 

 niary support, both to the Government and the public, as also that a 

 meeting of the colonists should be held in furtherance of the project. 

 Mr. Bonwick was instructed to apply to A. C. Gregory, Esq., the 

 commander of the North Australian Expedition,- for the opinion of 

 that gentleman on the proposed route, and generally, to request the 

 advice which his valuable experience would dictate. 



At the second meeting of the Committee, held on the 23rd No- 

 vember, the business was, on the motion of Edward Wilson, Esq., 

 postponed, in order that the members might have the opportunity of 

 hearing Dr. Mueller's forthcoming paper before the Institute, on the 

 subject of " Australian Exploration." 



At the third meeting of the Committee, held on the 30th Novem- 

 ber, Dr. Mueller moved, pursuant to previous notice, that the starting 

 point, originally fixed to be Port Curtis, should be changed for the 

 Darling, because it seemed unadvisable to send almost simultaneously 

 an expedition from Victoria to the subtropical east coast, whilst the 

 New South Wales Government had already intrusted to Mr. Gregory 

 the command of an expedition in search of Dr. Leichhardt, which is 

 to proceed from Port Curtis to the westward. He pointed also to 

 the additional chance which would thereby offer itself of gaining in- 



