356 



Dr. Neumayer on a Scientific 



[May 14, 



guided by the watercourses, without however losing sight of its primary 

 object. It is not unhkely that, by the time the proposed expedition would 

 reach the country north of the Australian Bight, expeditious from "Western 

 Australia, and even from the recently opened harbour on the south coast 

 (Eucla), will have thrown new light upon this subject, thereby considerably 

 facihtating this portion of the undertaking. 



It has already been mentioned that at point B on Stuart's track it is pro- 

 posed to make a longer stay than in any of the other depots. The prin- 

 cipal reason for so doing is to afford the expedition at that stage an oppor- 

 tunity of communicating with the settled portion of South Australia, pre- 

 vious to entering on the unknown territory to the south-west. A small 

 party may be detached from the main body for the purpose of travelling to 

 the nearest point of settlement, on which occasion collections and documents 

 may be sent to Adelaide or Melbourne, as well as any information received 

 which may be of importance for the progress of the expedition, and chiefly 

 such respecting the progress of exploration in Australia, having an imme- 

 diate bearing on the problem at issue. Such an expedition may also pre- 

 sent an opportunity of exchanging or making up our complement of men 

 and horses, replenishing stores, &c. That this does not present any serious 

 difficulty in execution we know from Stuart's expeditions, who on an ave- 

 rage travelled the distance from the Fincke to Mount Margaret * (Mr. 

 Jarvis's station) in twenty-four days. It is therefore fair to suppose that 

 within ten weeks this party could proceed to the first settlements and re- 

 turn, after having accom.plished its objects. 



In the preceding part of this paper I have laid down the track I propose 

 following, and have, I believe, succeeded in explaining the reasons which 

 guided me in doing so. I have avoided, however, all matters of detail as 

 to the branch expeditions, which are intended to be undertaken on both 

 sides of the main route, as such expeditions must to a great extent depend 

 on the nature of the country to be explored, on which point our knowledge 

 is still very scanty. I shall now in a few words give an outline of the 

 scientific objects of the expedition, and then proceed with some details re- 

 specting its organization and probable expense. 



An expedition passing through the centre of such a vast continent, tra- 

 velling through 32 degrees of longitude and 12 degrees of latitude, cannot 

 be otherwise considered than as productive of the most material advantages 

 to the cause of science generally, provided the plan of its working be such 

 as accords with the present state of scientific inquiry, and the conduct of 

 the whole be entrusted to competent hands. It is frequently supposed that, 

 in expeditions of this nature, it is expedient to confine the scientific re- 

 sccirches and observations within the iiarjov/est limits. Indeed, a rigorous 

 scientific inquiry is frequently thought incompatible with geographical dis- 

 covery. This is a grievous mistake, and has invariably proved to be such 

 wl-enever an expedition has taken the field, in the organization of which 

 Probably the stations are now still further advanced towards the north. 



