The Anaconda standard., 1890-06-22
SOL Wing A MYSTERY
Explorer Leichhardt DISAPPEARED In
Australia Porty.TXO Years Ago.
From That Date Till a Few Months
Since No Trace of Him Has
Been Discovered - The
Secret of His Fate.

Men are still living who remember the
famous journey Of the young German doc
tor, Ludwig Leichhartlt, who nearly half
in the interior of Australia, far surpass-
ing all his predecessors i'm the extent Of
his discoveries. Just as the notable servi-
ces OF Sir John Franklin amid the Arctic
ice were almost forgotten In the absorb
ing interest Of the mysterious tragedy that
ended his life, SO the memory OF DIR.
Leichhardt's brilliant success has been
dimmed by the lonR-liscussed mystery OF
his second great undertaking. He was
swallowed up somewhere in the thirst
lands of inner Australia, leaving no trace
that search parties and explorers have
ever been able TO find. Now comes the
news that relics Of the ill-fated explorer
have been discovered IN northwestern
Australia, and so much cretlence Is given
TO the report that the Melbourne branch
of the AIstralasian Geological society has
sent an expedition 10 see II the mystery OF
forty-two years ago is solved at last.
DIR. Neichhardt was an enthusiastic
naturalist. and the book he wrote on his
years of exploration and geological studies
in New South Wales made him well know
before he undertook his first great
journey. Perhaps no other journey so im-
portant was ever accomplished with such
slender resources. The equipment that
DIR. Leichhardt and his seven comrades
took on their Ii months tramp over $500
miles of inner Australia only cost Si25. Ii
is.needless to say that they picked up their
living as they went along, though nothing
was previously known of the resources of
the country they traversed. Starting north
from Moreton hay near the site of the
pleasant city of Brisbane they entered the
unknown, pushing northward through the
heart of Queensland, discovering many
mountain range, many an un-hear-
of river and savage tribe, passing
from the temperate to the torrid zone,
mapping the large Mitchell river from its
sources To its mouth, and then following
the coast far west and north To Port Es-
sington, one of the most northern points
of the continent.
IL was "A great journey, and Leichar,lt's
book describing IL still has many readers.
From end To end il was n revelation of the
unknown. Its author never saw the book.
for while il was being printed in London,
and before It's appearance IN Germany,
the restless explorer was oil on his second
evidently tragic termination was destined
TO be the talk of geographers for years.
He started from Moreton bay i'm lsi1 to
cross the continent through its central
portion from east To west. Four months
later the last tidings ever heard of him
SCI
land. He was then striking west. Not
for two years was much anxiety felt re-
gartling the little party. Then began the
series of search expeditions, stimulated
by offers of large rewards To those who
would relieve Leichhardt or learn his fate.
For the next twenty years all sorts of ru-
mors were current. One party alleged
that il had found his day-book. But no
trustworthy explorer was ever able to
substantiate any of these stories, all OF
which were discredited. No relics of the
unfortunate party was ever produced.and
the rewarl offered for tidings of LEIGH
hardt has never been paid.
The present report seems to rest on a
rather unsubstantial basis, though many
are very hopeful that the right clew has
been found at last. A number of months
ago Alexander McPhee, who is said To be
a responsible person, heard at LaGrange
Bay, i'm the Kimberly district, on the
northwest coast of Australia. that a white
man was living among the natives seve-
raj days journey to the southwest. He Wis.,
tied this tribe and found among them a
man approaching white in color who,
however. was clearly of the Australian
type. This result of his journey had no
importance, hut he was told by the tribe
of another people living farther south
west who possessed a hatchet and quite
n number OF other relies of a party
of white men who many years ago
had died of thirst not far from them. Only
the older men of the tribe could rcmcm-
bcr the white men. The party consisted
of two whites and two clothed blacks and
they had two horses. They came from
the northeast. This part of the Austral-
ian waste is almost destitute of water ex-
cept in "A few rocky reservoirs. The ma
tives said they would not tell the whites
where water might be found. for their own
supply was scauty. The party pursued
their desperate quest, and shortly after
ward the natives found the remains of
the horses, who had evidently persisted
first, and then the bodies of the men were
discovered. The tribe had still i'm their
piements and sr ips found on the horses
and bones both of the men and animals.
Mr.. McPhee was not able To pursue his
inquiries further, but he took the whitish
Australian. who is evidently an albino, TO
Melbourne and aroused much interest
with his story. Not few Australian ex-
plorers have lost their lives I'm the interior
wastes, but the fate of all of them, except
that of Leichhartlt, has been clearly re-
vcaled. III II II true that explorers per-
ished near the northwest coast of the con-
tincnt. there is no doubt that il was
the Leichardt party, and that he or
some members Of his little band had
nearly completed the formidable Jour
ney he undertook. The expedition which
has left Melbourne has been instructed to
make the most thorough examination,
and, IL convinced that the mystery of
Leichhardt's fate has been solved at last,
To mark the scene OF his final suflerings
with stone pyramid.
The explorers memory was long ago
enbalmed in the map of Australia. A
large region from which he sent back to
civilization his last cheerful tidings is
known as the Leichhardt district, ard an
important river he discovered in North
Queensland bears his name.