18 
THE GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS. 
elegant dejeuner a la fourchette, His Excellency tlie Governor 
rose and spoke as nearly as we could collect, as follows 
“ We are assembled to promote one of the most important 
undertakings that remain to be accomplished on the face of the 
globe — the discovery of the interior of Australia. As Captain 
Sturt in substance remarked in a recent lecture, of the five great 
divisions of the earth, Europe is well known ; Asia and America 
have been generally searched out ; the portion that remains to 
be known of Africa is generally unfavourable for Europeans, and 
probably unfit for colonization ; but Australia, our great island 
continent, with a most favourable climate, still remains unpene- 
trated, mysterious, and unknown. Without doing injustice 
to the enterprising attempts of Oxley, Sturt, and Mitchell, I 
must remark that they were commenced from a very unfavourable 
point — from the eastern and almost south-eastern extremity of 
the island — and consequently the great interior still remains 
untouched by them, the south-eastern corner alone having been 
investigated. As Captain Sturt some years since declared, this 
Province is the point from which expeditions to the deep interior 
should set out. This principle, I know, has been acknowledged 
by scientific men in Europe ; and it is most gratifying to see 
the spirit with which our Colonists on the present occasion have 
answered to the claim which their position imposes upon them. 
Mr. Eyre goes forth this day, to endeavour to plant the British 
flag — the flag which in the whole world has “ braved for a 
thousand years the battle and the breeze'’ — on the tropic of 
Capricorn (as nearly as possible in 135° or 136° of longitude) 
in the very centre of our island continent. On this day twenty- 
five years since, commencing almost at this very hour, the 
British flag braved indeed the battle, and at length floated 
triumphant in victory on the field of Waterloo. May a similar 
glorious success attend the present undertaking ! Mr. Eyre 
goes forth to brave a battle of a different kind, but which in the 
whole, may present dangers equal to those of Waterloo. May 
triumph crown his efforts, and may the British flag, planted by 
him in the centre of Australia, wave for another thousand years 
