day in
the Royal Park, his heart must have leaped for very joy, as did
with one accord the hearts of the "ten thousand" or more of our
good citizens, who there assembled to witness the departure of the
Exploring Expedition. Never have we seen such a manifestation of
heartfelt interest in any public undertaking of the kind as on this
occasion. The oldest dwellers in Australia have experienced nothing
to equal it.

At an early hour crowds of eager holiday folks, pedestrian and
equestrian, were to be seen hieing along the dusty ways to the
pleasant glades and umbrageous shade (a warm breeze; the first of
the season, was blowing from the north-east) of the Royal Park. A
busy scene was there presented. Men, horses, camels, drays, and
goods, were scattered here and there amongst the tents, in the
sheds, and on the greensward, in picturesque confusion;--everything
premised a departure--the caravansery was to be deserted. Hour
after hour passed in the preparations for starting. By-and-by,
however, the drays were loaded--though not before a burden of three
hundred-weight for each camel at starting was objected to, and
extra vehicles had to be procured--the horses and the camels were
securely packed, and their loads properly adjusted. Artists,
reporters, and favoured visitors were all the time hurrying and
scurrying hither and thither to sketch this, to take a note of
that, and to ask a question concerning t'other. It is needless to
say, that occasionally ludicrous replies were given to serious
questions, and in the bustle of hurried arrangements, some very
amusing contretemps occurred. One of the most laughable was the
breaking loose of a cantankerous camel, and the startling and
upsetting in the "scatter" of a popular limb of the law. The
gentleman referred to is of large mould, and until we saw his
tumbling feat yesterday, we had no idea that he was such a
sprightly gymnast. His down-going and up-rising were greeted with
shouts of laughter, in which he good-naturedly joined. The erring
camel went helter-skelter through the crowd, and was not secured
until he showed to admiration how speedily can go "the ship of the
desert."

It was exactly a quarter to four o'clock when the expedition got
into marching order. A lane was opened through the crowd, and in
this the line was formed; Mr. Burke on his pretty little grey at
the head. The Exploration Committee of the Royal Society, together
with a distinguished circle of visitors,