1868.] 



Exploration of Central Australia. 



351 



recorded in the Journals of the various explorers ; and it is during this 

 period that in the territory south of the Burke Creek and north of the 

 Stony Desert, as we have already explained, great ravages are caused by 

 inundation. Further to the south the meteorological phenomena of the 

 northern portion of the continent pass gradually over to those prevailing 

 in the south, namely that of two alternating currents of air, with winter 

 rains and a short rainy season in September and October. 



Great as have been the recent achievements with regard to the geogra- 

 phical knowledge of the continent, comparatively little has been done by 

 any one of the exploring expeditions towards the advancement of science. 

 Information calculated to throw light on the elevation of the interior or on 

 its geological character flows very scantily from the journals kept by the 

 explorers; and even the astronomical determinations of localities must, at 

 least as far as longitude is concerned, be received with caution, as the means 

 at their disposal, the comparatively small practice of most of the observers 

 in determinations of this kind, and the very methods employed, would hardly 

 admit of anything like a close approximation to the truth. Indeed we may 

 safely assert that it would have been scarcely compatible with the general 

 pioneering object of parties in the field since 1860 to have devoted more 

 attention to matters of science, strictly speaking, than was sufficient to 

 carry them through the difficulties they had to encounter. Perhaps it may 

 not be considered out of place if I express here my deep regret, on this very 

 ground, for the untimely death of my young friend, W. J. Wills, the as- 

 tronomer of Burke's expedition ; for, had he but survived his first feat, 

 there can be but little doubt that his zeal for the advancement of science, 

 and the knowledge he had obtained during the time he was on the staif of 

 the Observatory over which I then presided, would have enabled him to 

 take the first place as a scientific explorer, whereas we can now only admire 

 him for his courageous and enterprising spirit as a pioneer. This hope, 

 however, is at an end ; and up to the present time absolutely nothing has 

 been done towards the scientific examination of the vast interior of Austra- 

 lia — an examination of such immense importance for the advancem.ent of 

 almost every branch of physical science, and for the development of the 

 natural resources of this great country. It is with regard to this matter that 

 I venture to address this Society, with the view of soliciting its im- 

 portant assistance in starting an expedition, having for its object the ex- 

 ploring of the western half of Australia, and the scientific survey of the 

 rente across the entire continent. 



When the celebrated Australian explorer. Dr. Leichhardt, started on the 

 expedition which was to be his last, he did so with the intention of crossing 

 the continent from east to west, for the pnrpose of discovering the extent 

 of Sturt's desert, and the character of the western and north-western coas , 

 and of observing the gradual change in vegetable and animal life from 

 one side of the continent to the other*. It is nov/ exactly twenty years 



* History of Discovery and Exploration of Australia, by the Rev. J. E. T. Woods, 

 vol, ii. p. 518. 



