The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-15 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN EXPLORATIONS.

A further contribution to our knowledge of the
topography of the northern portion of this continent
has been made by the publication of Mr. Lands-
borough's journal. Starting from the left bank of
the Albert river, he took a south-westerly direction
and penetrated into the interior as far as 20 deg.
14 min. 5 sec. south latitude, in longitude 138 deg.
17 min., thus reaching a point about 250 miles
south-east of Stuart's furthest, on the 27th August,
1860. Finding no trace of the Burke and Wills
expedition, and being apprehensive of a collision
with some natives, 100 in number, who were en-
camped close to the little party, Mr. Landsborough
retraced his steps, by a somewhat different route,
to the depot on the Albert river, where he obtained ,
intelligence of Walker's party having discovered
traces of Burke and his companions on the Flinders
River. The country traversed during the outward
journey consisted for the first few days of thinly-
wooded and well-grassed plains, which were suffer-
ing at that period of the year (the height of summer)
from want of rain. The explorers followed the
course of the Gregory River for some distance, and
discovered numerous creeks and streams flowing
into it, and one watercourse from the south having
a wider channel, though a shallower current, than
the Gregory. Most of the creeks subsequently
crossed appeared to be destitute of water at that sea-
son, and showed traces of being subjected to floods
during the winter months. In the excursions under-
taken in search of water, Mr. Landsborough, after
crossing come besaltic ridges overrun with desert
grass, came upon fine plateaux, lightly timbered
and covered with rich grasses, to which he gave the
name of the Barkly Tableland. Indeed, the fre-
quency with which he mentions the occurrence of
these fertile elevations conveys a very favourable
impression both of the climate and the natural capa-
bilities of the country. No less than four conside-
rable watercourses flowing into the Gregory River
from the south were discovered and named by Mr.
Landsborough, and most of the country traversed is
described as well adapted for pastoral purposes at
certain seasons of the year. And, inasmuch as the
rainfall on the north-eastern coast occurs at a period
when the country skirting the southern portion of
the Gulf of Carpentaria appears to be suffering
from drought, it is possible that a system of migra-
tory settlement may hereafter be adopted, with ad-
vantage to the flocks and herds which may even-
tually occupy both regions. A belt of tableland
appears to stretch from east to west, between the
18th and 19th parallels of south latitude, and the
mountain barrier which separates it from the
plains on the seaboard is the source of most of
the affluents of the Nicholson, the Albert, the
Leichardt, the Flinders, and other rivers flowing
into the Gulf. Burke and Wills crossed this table-
land, and were much struck with the beauty of
its aspect and richness of its vegetation, the ame-
nity of the climate, and the indications it presented
of the existence of mineral wealth. Although
within the tropics, its natural elevation is suffi-
ciently great to insure a mild temperature, and as
the formation of the country, consisting of a num-
ber of basins lying in among a chain of hills,
would render the construction of reservoirs com-
paratively easy, while the annual rainfall must be
very great, this region holds out the promise of
becoming colonised by that wave of population
which is gradually creeping up the eastern side of
Australia, and will naturally trend round towards
the gulf, when it reaches the peninsula. After
l,
Landsborough
and o nweidt
h;
and his party purposed following
ing a fresh supply of provisions, Mr. adborouus,gh
up Burke sotracksr
returning to the depot on the Albert, -
north
anon d theh 01T lni
an
rdreartsi,v
ea s
nho aws
published, already b
.et no
together tehn
over.
la
Walker,that wh
ei cmhb
rwa
ci liln
gh et
the
eea fter
record b e
hisfrec
out
et
er sl
y to
to themap
most of
willth eeenoaubul et
country
our y
ihuygdirmogmreadpiha e received
journeyfrom M r
of the 20th parallel of south latitude, and between
the 135th and 145th degrees of east longitude. In
fact, if we bisect the continent at the line which
Mr. Stuart has drawn across it, and trace upon
the eastern half the routes of Burke and Wills,
Walker and Landsborough, u
---owitt and Alqiin
lay, and add to these the discoveries which are
being daily
efdoirt onnesw fitted r
aolu t 0
ub
ntry_we
made by private enterprise—by
y persons on the look
outexP shall find few
blank spaces of any magnitude in that portion of the
map, and may anticipate that the time is not far
distant when these will altogether disappear. One
gratifying circumstance connected with these sub-
sidiary expeditions is that they have been unat-
tended with any serious casualty on land. Mr,
Landsborough only lost two horses, which were
drowned in crossing a river, and he seems to have
acted with commendable caution in not pushing his
exploration forward beyond a point at which his
retreat was secure, and the cheerful alacrity with
which lie resumed his arduous labours the moment
his party had been strengthened and provisioned
for the exploit proves that his heart was in the work.
We trust that but h he and Mr. Walker will be enabled
to add materially to the information we already
possess with respect to the country traversed by the
Burke and Wills expedition, and will supply many
interesting details unavoidably overlooked or unre•
corded by the bravo men who have perished.—
elbourne Aryta.

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