is
reports of the arid country gave rise to the opinion that the whole
interior of Australia was a desert; but this was afterwards found to be
far from correct.

#8. Leichardt.#--Allan Cunningham's discoveries extended over the northern
parts of New South Wales and the southern districts of Queensland. But
all the north-eastern parts of the continent were left unexplored until
1844, when an intrepid young German botanist, named Ludwig Leichardt,
made known this rich and fertile country. With five men he started from
Sydney, and, passing through splendid forests and magnificent pasture
lands, he made his way to the Gulf of Carpentaria, discovering and
following up many large rivers--the Fitzroy, with its tributaries--the
Dawson, the Isaacs and the Mackenzie; the Burdekin, with several of its
branches; then the Mitchell; and, lastly, the Gilbert. He also crossed
the Flinders and Albert, without knowing that, a short time previously,
these rivers had been discovered and named by Captain Stokes, who was
exploring the coasts in a British war-ship. Having rounded the gulf, he
discovered the Roper, and followed the Alligator River down to Van
Diemen's Gulf, where a vessel was waiting to receive his party. On his
return to Sydney the utmost enthusiasm prevailed; for Leichardt had made
known a wide stretch of most valuable country. The people of Sydney
raised a subscription of L1,500, and the Government rewarded his
services with L1,000. Leichardt was of too ardent a nature to remain
content with what he had already done; and, in 1847, he again set out to
make further explorations in the north of Queensland. On this occasion,
however, he was not so successful. He had taken with him great flocks of
sheep and goats, and they impeded his progress so much that, after
wandering over the Fitzroy Downs for about seven months, he was forced
to return. In 1848 he organised a third expedition, to cross the whole
country from east to west. He proposed to start from Moreton Bay, and to
take two years in traversing the centre of the continent, so as to
reach the Swan River settlement. He set out with a large party, and soon
reached the Cogoon River, a tributary of the Condamine. From this point
he sent to a friend in Sydney a letter, in which he described himself
as in good spirits, and full of hope that the expedition would be a
success. He then started into the wilderness, and was lost for ever from
men's view. For many years parties wer