on the whole as a
mistake. Mr. Wills is entirely alone; he has no one to assist him
in his zeal, and take a part of his onerous duties from him. Had he
been put in a position to make valuable magnetic observations, he
would have earned the thanks of the scientific world. But, under
existing circumstances, he can do nothing at all for the
advancement of this particular branch. However, I hope future
expeditions will afford him an opportunity to fill up that
deficiency, if he should now be successful. The affair with
Landells was nothing more nor less than what I expected and was
quite prepared to hear. The man was not more qualified for the task
he undertook than he would have been for any scientific position in
the expedition. I am confident Mr. Wills is all right, and that Mr.
Burke and he will agree well together."

All this was complimentary and gratifying to a father's feelings.
Still, as time passed on, forebodings came upon me that this great
expedition, starting with so much display from Melbourne, with a
steady, declared, and scientific object, would dwindle down into a
flying light corps, making a sudden dash across the continent and
back again with no permanent results. Discharges and resignations
had taken place, and no efforts were made by the committee to fill
up the vacancies. No assistant surveyor had been sent to my son, no
successor appointed to Dr. Beckler. The last-named gentleman
brought back many of the scientific instruments intrusted to his
charge, alleging that if he had not done so, Mr. Burke, who was
unscientific and impatient of the time lost in making and
registering observations, threatened to throw them into the next
creek. The supineness of the committee was justly, not too severely
commented on in the Report of the Royal Commission: "The
Exploration Committee, in overlooking the importance of the
contents of Mr. Burke's despatch from Torowoto, and in not urging
Mr. Wright's departure from the Darling, committed errors of a
serious nature. A means of knowledge of the delay of the party at
Menindie was in possession of the committee, not indeed by direct
communication to that effect, but through the receipt of letters
from Drs. Becker and Beckler, at various dates up to the end of
November;--without, however, awakening the committee to a sense of
the vital importance of Mr. Burke's request in that despatch that
he should 'be soon followed up;'--or to a consideration of the
disastrous con