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

NOES. 133.

Wen, Sir J. Gavin, Major Montag-u, Lord R.
Adderley, C. B. George, John Montgomery, Sir G.
Arbuthnott, Gen.H. Getty, S. G. Morgan, C. 0. S.
Astell, J. H. Gordon, C. W. Mowbray, Rt. Hn. J
Baillie, 11. J. Graham, Lord Wm. Mundy, William
Baring, H. B. Greenall, G. Northcote, Sir S. II
Barttelot, Col. Haliburton, Justice Ogilvy, Sir J.
Beach, W. W. Hamilton, Jas. H. Packe, C. W.
Bentinck, G. W. P. Hamilton, Major Palmer, Sir R.
Benyon, R. Heathcote, Sir W. Parker, Major W.
Beresford, W. Henley, J. Patten, J. W.
Blencowe, J. G. Hennessy, J. P. Paull, H.
Bovill, Wm., Henniker, Lord Pevensey, Viscount
Brady, John Hervey, Lord A Powys, L. P.
Bramley-Moore, J. Heygate, Sir F. Puller, C. W.
Bramston, T. W. Holmesdale, Lord Ridley, Sir M. W.
Bridges, Sir 8., Bt. Hope, G. W. Rogers, John J.
Brooks, R. Hopwood, J. T. Rowley, Hon. R. T.
Burghley, Lord Hotham, Gen. Lord Salt, Titus
Caird, James Howes, Edward Sclater-Booth, G.
Cairns, Sir EL, Hubbard, J. G. Scott, Lord H.
Cave, S Hunt, G. W. Scully, V.
,
Chapman, J. Johnstone, Hon. H. Selwyn, C. J.
Clive, H. G. W. Johnstone, J. J. H. Seymer, H. K
Cole, Hon. H. A. Kendall, N. Shirley, E. P.
Collins, T., jun. Kinnaird, Hon. A. Smith, Abel
Corry, H. L. Knatchbull, W Smith, S. G.
Cubitt, George Leader, N. Somes, Joseph
Deedes, Wm. Lefroy, A. Stanhope, J. B.
Disraeli, Benjamin Legh, W. Steuart, A.
Dunbar. Sir Wm. Lennox, Lord H. G Turner, C.
Duncombe, A. Leslie, W. Vansittart, Wm.
Dundas, Frederick Lindsay, General Verner, Sir Wm.
Dundas, Sir David Longfield, Robert Walcott, Adm. J. E.
Dunne, Col. Lyall, G. Walpole, S. H.
Du Cane, Chas. Lyg,ron, Hon. F. Walker, J. R.
Dutton, Hon. R. H. Macaulay, K. Watlington, J. W.
Egerton, E. C. M'Cormick, W. Whitmore, H.
Egerton, W. Mackie, J. Wood, W.
Estcourt, S. Maguire, J. F. Wyndham, Hon. P.
Ewing, H. E. C. Mainwaring, T. Wynne, W. W. N.
Fane,' Col. Malcolm, W. J
Farquhar, Sir M. Manners, Lord J.
Fitzgerald, W. S. Miller, William
Forcle, Lt.-Col. W. Mills, A.
Forester, Col. G. C. Mittord, W. T.

TELLERS,

Cecil, Lord It
Blackburn, P.

THE NEW VICTORIA EXPLORATION

EXPEDITION.

By the Melbourne Argus we learn that a com-
mission of inquiry has sat to ascertain the causes of
the fatal results of the expedition under Mr. O'Hara
Burke. Brahe, who returned from Cooper's Creek
only nine hours before the arrival of Burke, Wills,
and King at that post, has been strictly questioned
as to his reasons for not waiting longer, and Wright,
who had been lett 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 Brahe's own evidence be
had left in his letter in the cache found by Burke a
much better account of the condition of his party and
horses and camels than was the case. He now re-
presented that both himself and Paton were unwell,
and that his horses and camels were sick and over-
worked. Sir Francis Murphy strongly represented
to him the consequences of having thus left a false
account, as had Burke, Wills, and King been aware of
their infirm state, they would most probably have
made the effort to overtake them, and thus might
have been saved. Brahe asserted that Burke had left
orders that he need not wait for him more than four
months, as he should probably make for Queensland.
Wright excused his not following promptly after
Burke by stating 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 Cooper's Creek,
missed his way, was stopped by want of water, and
went back. When he at length reached Cooper 'S
Creek he had given up all hope of Burke return'
ing, as Burke informed him that he meant to return
by Queensland. Wright gave a very poor account
of his reasons for not immediately following Burke
to Cooper's Creek, confessing that he had remained
at Menindie from the sth of November to the 19th
December, merely looking after the stock and the,
camels, and " not knowing rightly what to do:"
Different parts of his statements did not at all agree,
nor could he reconcile them, to the great dissatis-
faction of the commission.
The Times, in commenting on the calamities and
sufferings 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 pursued ! 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, in
pushed on without the necessary calculations. Had
he never divided his party, and left two portions 01
it behind, but had kept the whole cavalcade
together with all their provisions, making eas9
stages, he would have gone and returned with'
out any considerable 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 wet°
so exhausted . that he had then to make .11
desperate push back, which inevitably destroyed bid
six camels and one horse, leaving Gray done up an,
'
buried in the wilderness, and only reaching Cooper ,
Creek for himself and Vills to die of exhaustion,
as Gray had done. Taat is the solution of the
whole tragic mystery.
The chief exploring expedition, under Mr. Howitt
left Melbourne on the 9th of December to procee
to Cooper's Creek, to disinter the remains of Burke
and Wills, and to send them down to Melbourne;
where a public funeral is to be given them and
a monument by Summers, the sculptor, to
be erected over them. Some sensible men
ci
in the commission strongly recommended
that the remains of the discoverers should be
left where they are, and an obelisk erected ovor
them, with a proper inscription. This spot,
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 tb°
interior, to prosecute the work of discovery, and t°
endeavour to meet the expedition which was t°
set out from the Government steamer Victoria, se°t
round to the Gulf of Carpentaria, southward, „
the hope of finding Burke. A telegram from Slud:
ney has communicated news of Mr. Walker an
his party, who started from the north-east coast to
endeavour to find traces of Burke, by striking his
diagonally. He was said to be on the Victorl
river on the 10th of October, and was making c)f
Carpentaria, where he hoped to hail the flag of
Commander Norman, of the Victoria, by the loth
of November. If Walker, who is a brave and e?i
perienced bushman, accomplished this, news NO'
soon be heard of him. Howitt has authority to file
tinue his explorations in the interior for 6!,,,
months ; and, what we may expect from his til'e
coveries, added to those made by Walker, by tbif
expedition southward, from the steamer in the Ge,nle
'
of Carpentaria, and by Mr. Gregory, recently in t;',.
neighbourhood of Nicoll Bay, 21 deg. south latituc!"
will throw a flood of light on the hitherto terra 'Tv
cognita of Northern Australia. e,
The friends of the parties, and the public at larg 0
will read with much pleasure a part of King's, t.rlo
survivor, evidence, given before the Ekploratr,
Commission of Inquiry :—" I wish to say soinetiltq:.
about the party being provided with good boor. a
I have the pleasure to say that each of us 11010.4
bible and prayer-book, and occasionally read tbeti,
both going and coming back; and before the deA)a
of Mr. Burke I am happy to say he prayed to '7

for forgiveness in Chri-si:' tea
King, since his return, seems to have conduc-o
himself with great good sense. A Mr. CopPit', ;a,
American we believe, and the Barnum of Victor
has offered him £l,OOO to attend for twelve roar
a panorama of the Burke Exhibition. King eh'
clined the offer, saying that he could not feel olcto
an exhibition of the sufferings of his compani"B a
be other than a cruel desecration on his part)
that he left himself wholly injhe hands of the "
vernment in everything regarding the expeditio•