Appendix. lix 



removing the veil from Central Australia. The want of water was a difficulty 

 to be overcome ; but that was not insuperable. Eyre's Creek did not, doubtless, 

 arise from sands in the interior, but might come from some large water 

 north of the sands. The Colorado, in California, pursued a subterranean 

 route through land for 200 miles. This might be found to be the case in 

 some rivers and creeks here. The great iliscoveries of this world had never 

 been accomplished without an effort, and sometimes a despairing effort. 

 (Cheers.) People lived for twenty-six years in Sydney before the Blue 

 Mountains were pierced, and the magnificent country beyond discovered. 

 Mr. Surveyor Oxley gave it as his opinion that the whole of the country 

 south, down to the sea, was utterly uninhabitable by man. This condemned 

 district included the whole of the country of Port Phillip. Captain Sturt, 

 however, by his judicious operations, descended the Murrumbidgee to the 

 Murray, and traced its outlet to Lake Victoria, and the result was the 

 discovery of the plains of South Australia, and afterwards of the beautiful 

 plains of Western Australia, on which, however, Messrs. Batman and 

 Fawkner had already settled ? Count Strzlescki explored the Australian 

 Alps at much personal suffering. (The speaker here gave a brief sketch 

 of the various exploring expeditions since 1830, and all of which are, of 

 course, familiar to the public ) The object to be gained was a grand one, 

 viz., a caravan road from Victoria to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and thus 

 in lime Victoria might command the trade of the Indian seas. To com- 

 mence, let them establish a basis of operations at Cooper's Creek. 

 The expedition could then explore the stony desert, and find the line of 

 Eyre's Creek. This could be made another basis of operations, from which 

 the party could work gradually to the interior and across, by establishing 

 other bases where they found water. This would occupy years, but could be 

 done, and the dark riddle which had so long puzzled them be solved, viz., the 

 exploration of Central Australia. 



A Person in the body of the meeting here obtained permission to make a 

 few remarks. He said he was proud to see the working classes and scien- 

 tific bodies associated in works of this kind. These works should be rapidly 

 extended, but should be carried out as Captain Sturt's had been, without 

 bloodshed. (Hear.) Their explorers should be impressed with the necessity 

 of kindly treating the natives. (Hear, hear ) He regretted that the Govern- 

 ment here should take the land from the natives and not pay for it, as 

 they did to the more warlike races in New Zealand. (Cheers. J The natives 

 there were willing to sell for small sums, and it was a shame for them to 

 reflect that this had not been done here, and means adopted to save the lives of 

 the inhabitants. 



Mr. Blandowski said that at present the runs along the Mur- 

 ray Eiver were very valuable— £250 for a running mile, and £150 per 

 running mile on the banks of the Darling. Between Kennedy's track 

 and Mr. Sturt's, there was a district of 400 miles unexplored, and this land 

 might turn out to be extremely valuable. The idea of the Argus to send the 

 exploration party to Cooper's Creek was, in his opinion, impossible, consi- 

 dering that the preliminary expedition would consist of only four men and a 

 leader. They could not cross the country for want of water. The soil was of 

 a spongy kind, which rapidly absorbed rain, and there was no stream of 

 sufficient importance to throw a branch across their track. 



The resolution was then put and carried. 



Dr. Mueller moved the second resolution. 



"That this meeting recommends the formation of a light preliminary ex- 

 pedition, to explore the country between the Darling and the Victoria rivers 

 with a view of opening up a line of communication between this colony and 

 Central Australia, and for the purpose of selecting a suitable site for estab- 

 lishing a depot, to serve as the basis of future explorations." 



The reasons why this limitation of the first proposition was recommended 

 E 



