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

TILE ARMY.

On Monday evening the detachments from the
various regiments stationed at Corfu, Malta, and
Gibraltar, to the number of 60 men of all mks,
arrived at Chatham from Portsmouth, at which
port they had disembarked. After medical inspec-
tion 28 of the number were admitted into Fort
Pitt' Hospital for treatment, and the remainder
remwed. to St. May 441114 -
await the order for theirdisc

Late

*rom the

service,

AUSTRALIAN EXPLORATION.

The following: sketch of the journey across the
continent of Australia, by Messrs. Burke and Wills,
in a letter from the Governor of Victoria to Sir

Roderick Murchison, was read before the Royal
Geographical Society on the 13th of January ;
" My dear Sir Roderick,—Knowing the interest
which you have ever taken in the exploration
of the interior of Australia, and that you
still occupy the post of Vice-President of the Royal
Geographical Society, it was my intention to ad-
dress you fully by the present mail steamer respect-
ing. the Victorian expedition under Burke and Wills
which you will learn has achieved the honour of
first crossing from sea to sea, by a route far distant
and utterly distinct from that of M'Donall Stuart,
from whose great fameas an explorer I have not the
least desire to detract.

" I wished, indeed, as the expedition had cost the
gallant leaders of it their lives, to narrate in a con
nected form its design and history from the very
commencement, in order that it might serve the
Geographical Society as a record, and prevent any
misconception of the causes which have marred its
triumphant result.
" I find, however, that the pressure of other busi-
ness will prevent my carrying out this design, and
I must content myself therefore with forwarding
the newspapers which contain the best report of
what has recently come to light, together with the
diaries of Burke and Wills as published in a pamphlet
form, and lastly with a map of Australia on which our
Surveyor-General has added to other recent ex
plorations a reduced tracing of the track of the ex-
pedition, from the depot on Cooper's Creek to the
Gulf of Carpentaria, where it struck, as would ap-
pear, the Fiinder's River, and not the Albert,' as
the explorers supposed.
"I would refer you at the same time for precise
details of the whole enterprise to my several de-
spatches of Aug. 21, 1860, July 20 and Nov. 20,
1861, which I am confident the Duke of Newcastle
will put at your disposal for the information of the
Geographical Society, if applied to.
" On one account I am not sorry to be obliged to
postpone a detailed communication on the subject,
for it would be difficult to tell the sad story of the
sufferings and death of the brave men who returned
to the spot where they expected to find friends and
ample store of provisions and clothing only to find
the depot abandoned, and to perish miserably in
default of assistance, without at least implying blame
in some quarter or other, and, as a good deal is still
enveloped in mystery, and I have appointed a corn-
ta 'take-evidence and report
thereupon, it would obviously be improper in me to
anticipate their conclusions.
" The sole survivor of the party who crossed the
continent, John King, once, I believe, a soldier in
India, is expected to reach Melbourne tonight,
and with the aid of his recollections of the journey
the Surveyor-General hopes to be enabled to add
to the chart on a large scale, which he is con-
structing from Mr. Wills's Field Books, fuller
particulars as to the nature of the country, as well
to supply some blanks which were evidently left to
be filled in afterwards, especially in regard to the
route back, which, from the determination at our
observatory of one of his earlier camps, from an ob-
servation of one of the planets which is recorded,
seems to have been considerably to the eastward of
the course pursued in going, though this is not ex-
pressly so stated.
" I need hardly add that as soon as Mr. Ligar
finishes this chart I will send you copies of it, as
also of the report of the commission of inquiry.
"The country towards Carpentaria, or Burke's
Land—as I hope it will be called—seems so good
that there can be little doubt of the formation, at
no distant date, of a colony on the shores of that
estuary—a project which you have long, I know,
had at heart ; and before we recall the several
parties sent out for the relief of the missing expe-
dition I trust we shall be able so far to complete the
task as to connect the settled country by Mr.
Howitt's aid with Burke's Land by the best pos-
sible route, and, by means of the party sent by sea
in the Victoria steamer, to add greatly to our know-
ledge of the gulf, and of the embouchure of the dif-
ferent rivers falling into it.—Believe, me ever, my
dear Sir Roderick, yours very truly,
" HENRY BARRY.

" Government Offices, MelboUizTe,Ko;.ii,lB6l.
" P.S.—After I had finished my letter I received
a memorandum from the Surveyor-General respect-
ing Mr. Wills's astronomical observations, which is
of so much importance that I enclose it for your in-
formation, not having time to get a copy of it.
H. B."