The Express.
London, England, 1862-01-15 00:00:00

death than this to which the immure heglinees
of the desert and the eternal skies bore silent
and most solemn witness l Perhaps when
the old world is a little older and civilisation a
century or two nacre ady.nced, mankind will
recognise other heroes than successful soldiers, and
other battle-fields than those of blood, rapine, and
devastation. What is the pomp, the charlatanism,
the frippery of war, with its splendid rage and
its intoxicationg fumes of glory, compared with
the proud yet modest self-devotion of men whose
solitary graves are the landmarks of wealthy and
populous empires yet to be 1 Talk of the romance
of war, the delight of battle, the chivalry of the
camp, the brilliant spectacles and entrancing
pageantries—the trade or tournament of Kings,
the recreation or profession of aristocracies, the
folly or the servitude of peoples I Far may be
the day when humanity will put the heroes of
bloodless and tearless triumphs on the pedestals now
occupied by great swordsmen and strategists; but if
contempt for all that is vulgar, mean, and trivial
in the pleasures and business of cities, if the conse-
cration of life to the purest objects, if an ever-
joyous welcome to sufferings and dangers, a constant
fortitude and yet a calm submission, and a resolute
acceptance of the inevitable end, and a serene
persistence in the long day's work till the night
comes " in which no man can work :"—if this is
the life and death of true heroes, Australia may
begin her hero-worship where other and older

Le end it.

-----
There is a touching parallel between this last
exploring expedition aeron Australia and the
lest Polar expedition. iLLKILIN and his com-
rades died one by ooe all bat in sight of the
long-sought sea. BURKE and his comrades of the
Australian exploration sunk one by one under
]blips and privations, succumbed after their
peat object was attained. They had crossed a
and stony desert into a " well-greased
parchedi well-watered country" beyond, and had
pensitsted from sea to sea. It was on their re-
tons to the point of their departure, and when
Anon within hail of the settled districts, that they
succumbed ; their scanty supplies exhausted, their
camels and horses broken down, killed, and eaten;
themselves reduced to akin and bone, mere
shadows of the men who bad started full of hope
and courage. First one sank and died, the others
struggled on, but too weak to trace distinctly their
returning track, and while searching parties were
making ready at Melbourne, the leader of the ex-
plorers and another of hie comrades were slowly
dying. Of the three who parted for • while to
seek for provisions from the natives, one returned
companionless, and was finally discovered almost
at the point of death by Mr. Howrrr.
It is impossible to read without emotion the last
simple records of these enduring men. "We
" reached the shores of Carpentaria," writes Mr.
Boats, " on February 11th, 1861. Terribly die-
" appointed at findiitg the party here gone."
These are the last words of • man dying of
hunger. " The party here gone" were the depot
party whom the explorers had expected to find at
Cooper's Creek, on their return. When these
last words were written, the depot party Wan
within 14 miles, having only left the station that
very day 1 The one survivor was living among the
natives and well treated. It is, indeed, • deeply
tragic but inspiring story, and it speaks well
for the " Democracy " of Victoria that they re-
ceived the news of the fate of these explorers with as
profound a sorrow as if the men had fallen amidst
heaps of slain to the sound of drums and trumpets.
In the Legislative Assembly at Melbourne, the
Ministers immediately announced their in-
tention to ask for a vote for the erec-
tion of a monument to their memory. The
Leader of the Oppoetion moved, and the Secre-
tary of State seconded the motion, that the
remains of the martyrs should be brought to the
capital and honoured with a national funeral. We
hope we shall be pardoned by our classical readers
if we augur well of a Democracy that can pay
such honours to such heroes.

ebe Court.

-4-
OSBORNE, JAI. 14.

Lieutenant-Colonel Reppel has succeeded Cap-
tain G. Grey as Equerry in Waiting to the Prince of Wales.

TM Rev. Dr. Gable had an interview with Secretary
fir George Grey, yesterday, at the Home-office, to present
an Wenn of condolence to the Queen on the death of the
Prince Consort, from the consistory of the Dutch Reformed
Church of London, Audtinfriars, established by royal
charter al Sing Edward VI.
Her Majesty's Commisaioners for the International HAl-
hitt= of 1862 held a meeting at their onion in the Strand,
yesterday.
Despatched' were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Wands.
sad from the governors of the Wait India colonies.

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