The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-12-27
A DESERT ENIGMA
Mystery of a Vanished Party of
Australian Explorers.
LEFT NOT A TRACE BEHIND.

The Leiohhardt Expedition Disappear
ed as Though 1t Had Been Swallowed
Up by the Earth, Which May Indeed
Have Been It's Fearful Fate.
There have been recorded many
strange tragedies of exploration in lone
and distant lands, but no one event of
the kind has ever SO stirred mems minds
as did the total disappearance of the
well found and splendidly equipped ex-
pedltion which DR.. Ludwig LEIGH
hardt, the Franklin of Australia, led
into the central deserts of Australia In
1913.
Leichhardt's design was to march
right across the continent from the east
coast to the west. and as he had al
hady led q successful expedition near
" 5000 miles through a previously UNI
known part of Australia, 1t was gener-
ally thought that he would be able to
accomplish the task.
Still, there were some who doubted
and prophesled disaster, and more than
one wealthy friend of the doctors re-
fused TO subscribe toward the expedi-
ton on the ground that they were not
going to help him to commit suicide.
The members of the expedition num-
bered six whites and two blacks, an
unusually large number for an explor-
ing expedition of this nature, and be-
sides being amply provided with -four,
biscuit. tea, sugar and so on. they drove
along with them fifty bullocks and 270
goats. They also had spare horses and
mules in abundance.
At that time the most westerly sta
ton In southern Queensland was oc-
cupied by a squatter named McPher-
son. who dwelt on Cocoon creek. From
there Leichhardt wrote brief letter as
he was about to start into the unknown
land beyond.
That was the last ever heard of him
or of any of his companions, and this
Notwithstanding the fact that expedi-
ton after expedition was afterward
sent out in search of them.
AS completely as though they had
been sWdllVWNu VIZ ny 'hS S"''i'i 'HNJ
vanished.
This Is the most puzzling part of the
mystery-its completeness. Had they
been killed by the natives, as was al
first wrongly reported, some relics o.
the explorers would long since hav'
been recovered from them. In som'
shape the iron work of the Implements
ho
have survived.
And what of the stock? Some of tn,
goats, at all events, must have beer
left alive, one would have imagined
for these are VIGOROUSLY hardy AMI
mails. able 60 pick up living almos
anywhere. Yet none of these, nor any
of the horses, mules or bullocks wert
ever traced.
The probability is that the Ill fate(
expedition struck one of those water
less patches of country common II
parts of Australia, into which tn,
blacks never venture. 1t Is not Difficult
in this ease to prophesy what woul'
have been their fate.
Their reserve barrels once emptied o
their precious contents, the little waite
carried by the men in their canteen
would not last more than n day or sc
In the shadeless bush, In that terrih
heat, death comes swiftly under sue
circumstances. About forty-eight hour
is the limit of human endurance
Usually half that time sutlices
The explorers. we may be sure, woul
struggle on to the last, however, hus
banding their water TO the uttermos
drop, The animals would be the first
go, and the desperate expedient o
drinking their blood would be resort
ed to.
Hotter and hotter grows the air n
the doomed men stagger further an
further into the rainless desert
Some lose their reason; all lose hope
Then comes the end. They separat
and struggle away In ones and twos
and fall and die.
Day after day the terrible and pitiles
sun looks down upon them lying ther
and sees them dry and shrivel int
mummies.
And still no rain falls.
But one day. It may be years after
ward. there arises sandstone of eX
ceptional violence The wind blow
with all the strength and fury of Al
arctic blizzard. but driving before
sand, not snow.
When II ceases the desert is there a
before; the same, yet different. Noun
tains of sand exist where before wer
valleys.
The mummies have vanished fror
human ken ever.-Pearson's Weekly