The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-20 00:00:00

THE NEW VICTORIA EXPLORATION

EXPEDITION.

By the Melbourne Argue we learn that a Com-
missies of Inquiry has sat to reertnia the muses of the
fatal results of the expedition wader Mr. O'Hara Burke.
&she, who returned from Cooper's Creek oaly nine hours
before the arrival of Burke, Wills, and King at that post,
ham been strictly questioned se to his ramose for not wait,
hag longer, and Wright, who had been left at Menindie
by Burke, as to the reasons for his not moving up after
Burke to Cooper's Creek, in:order to accompany him on the
route Into the interior. According to &she's own evidence
he had left in his letter in the cache found by Burke a
mach better amount of the cooditios of his party sad
horses sad camels than WY the car Ho now represented
that loth biter( and Pros wen wawell, sad that his
►ones sad COM& were sick and overworked. Sir Francis
Murphy straggly represented to him the consequences of
having thus left a false account, as, had Burke, Willa, sad
King bees aware of their infirm state, they would meet
probably have made the effort to overtake them, and that
sided have been saved. Brake asserted that Burke had
left orders that he need not wait for him more than for
months, as be should probably snake for Queensland.
Wright excused his not following promptly after Burke
by rating that he had to wait at Menindie for despatches, '
and to purchase horses ; that there several of his party fell
ill, and he, himself, in endeavouring to push on to Couples
Creek, missed his way, was romped by wet of water, sad
west back. Whet he at length reached Cooper's Creek he
had given op all hope of Burke returning, r Berke
tafemned him that he meant to return by Quondam&
Wright gave a very poor account of his reaeonefor not im-
mediately following Burke to Cooper's Creek, easier*
that he bad remained at Morrie from the sth of November
to the 19th December, merely looking after the stock and
the camels, and " not knowing rightly what to do.* Dif-
ferent parts of his statements did not at all agree, tot
could he reconcile them, to the great dissatisfaction of the

The Tines, in commenting on the calamities and sutler•
hags of Burke's party, the other day, said that it was very
easy to see errors after they were over, but who could point
out a better course than Burke punned? Now, with all
honour to Burke for his enthusiasm and persevering bravery,
there never has been any doubt whatever at Melbourne
since he set out of the certain result of terrible sufferings.
Impetuous in his temperament, he pushed on without the
necessary calculatioos. Had he never divided his Forty,
and left two portions of it behind, but bad kept the whole
cavalcade together with all their provisions, making easy
stages, he would have gone and returned without any 004)*
siderable difficulty. He found the country between
Cooper's Creek and Carpentaria well-watered and grassed,
but by the time he reached the approaches to the Gulf, his
provisions were so exhausted, that he had then to make •
desperate push back, which inevitably destroyed his six
camels and one horse, leaving Gra, done up and buried in
the wildernewand only reaching Cooper's- himself Creek for

and Wills to die of exbauation,as Grey had done. That ie
the solution of the whole tragic mystery.
The chief exploring expedition, under Mr. Howitta
left Melbourne on the 9th of December to proceed to
Cooper's Creek, to disinter the remain' of Burke and
Wills, and to seed them down to Melbourne, when
• public funeral is to be given them and • monu-
ment by Summers, the sculptor, to be erected over
them. Some sensible men in the commisaioo strongly re-
commended that the remains of the discoverers should be
left where they are, and an obelisk erected over them,with a
proper inscripti3ll. This spot lying where the old and new
colonies will meet would become historic Ground. But this
wise counsel seems to have been overruled.
The expedition is then to proceed into the interior, to
prosecute the work of discovery, and to endeavour to meet
the expedition which was to set out from the government
steamer Victoria, sent round to the Gulf of Carpentaria,
southward, in the hope of [lading Burke. A telegram front
Sydney has communicated news of Mr. Walker sod his
party, who darted from the north-coat coast to endeavour
to find traces of Burke, by striking his lice diagonally. He
was said to be on the Victoria river on the 10th of October,
and was making for Carpentaria, where he hoped to hail this
flag of Commander Norman, of the Victoria, by the 10th of
November. If Walker, who is a brave and experienced
bushman, accomplished this, news will soon be heard of
him. Howitt has authority to continue his explorations in
the interior fur five months ; sod, what we may expect
from his discoveries, added to those made by Walker, by
the expedition southward, from the steamer in the Gulf of
Carpentaria, and by Mr. Gregory, meetly in the neighbour.
hood of Nicoll Bay, 21 deg. south latitude, will throw a flood
of light on the hitherto terra incovaita of Northern
Australia.
The friends of the partied, and the public at large, will
read with much pleasure a part of King, the survivor's.
evidence, given before the Exploration Commission of
Inquiry :—" I wish to say something about the patty
being provided with good books. 1 have the pleasure
to say that each of us had • bible and a prayer-book, and
occasionally read them, both going and coining back ; and
before the death of Mr. Burke I am happy to say he preyed
to God for forgiveness in Christ."
King, since his return, seems to have conducted himself
with great good sense. A Mr. Coppin, an American we
believe, and the Itirnum of Victoria, has offered him 1,0001.
to attend for twelve months • panorama of the Burke Ex-
peditioo. King declined the offer, sayiog that he could not
feel such an exhibition of the sufferings of bin companion'
to be other than a cruel desecration ou bin part; and that be
left himself wholly in the hands of the government in
everything regarding the expedition.

ROYAL AORICULTIIZAL ARSOCIATIOY.—A meeting
of this association took place yesterday, at their rooms,
Hanover-slums ; Colossal Challooer in the chair. A short
discussion took place as to be expediency of chaise* the
day of meeting for the memoriam of members of parlia-
ment. Mr. Metovraring, M.P., stating that Wednesday was
sow become the most important day of the week to them.
The Chairmen, in reply to Mr. Mainwitriog, said that about
four years ago such • change as that now proposed was
effected, but that it had not been attended with any bens-
&dal remlis, and notice of a motion which had been gives
to orange the day wee withdrawn. A law discussion then
took place with reference to the fact, that the journal com-
mittee not having met for the purpose of selecting papers
for discussion, mom such were forthcoming at the present
meeting. Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Sir E. Morrison, Mr. Criswell,
ad other gentlemen expressed • strong opinion that it was
quite melees to continue these meetings unless papers were
previously selected, and the, bad a discussion upon some
practical sgricoltoral topic. Eventually notice of • motion
was given by Sir R. Merriam, that, at the next meeting, he
should move the appointment of • committee, to confer
with the joureal committee se to the best mode of raising
agricultural topics at these meetings. The proceediop then
terminated.