r of the melancholy
fate of Burke, Wills, and Gray. They were hospitably received by the
settlers, but the season was dry and their horses fared much worse in the
settled districts than in crossing from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the
Darling. In conclusion Mr. Landsborough expressed his acknowledgments for
the warm reception which had been accorded to him and his willingness to
answer any questions that might be put to him.

In reply to questions:

Mr. Landsborough said he thought the Flinders River was about 500 miles
long. The most elevated land on the Flinders appeared to be about 1000 to
1500 feet high. The climate of Carpentaria he believed to be very dry
excepting in the months of January, February, March and April. The bed of
the Flinders when he left it was 120 yards wide, with a shallow stream
flowing along its surface. His party came through the country at a very
favourable season of the year. Thunderstorms and rainy weather might be
expected until the end of April, and sometimes as late as May. On the
heads of the Gregory River the country was of a basaltic character; and
on the Flinders there was abundance of quartz and ironbark country. He
saw about 50 miles of the latter description of country and believed from
his previous knowledge that it extended to the coast. The range dividing
the Flinders from the Cooper River country he estimated to be from 1000
to 1500 feet high, while that which he crossed on his expedition to the
south-west, though about the same height, was of quite a different
character, being composed of a basalt different from any he had seen
before. The slopes of the tableland were grassed with spinifex, which is
almost worthless. All basaltic country he had seen previously in other
parts of Australia was exceedingly well grassed.

He had no doubt that the rivers on the north side of Barkly's Tableland
were supplied by springs. Barkly's Tableland divides the northern from
the southern waters. He crossed it on his first expedition. He had never
been to the west of the Thomson. Immediately after leaving the watershed
of the Flinders he got onto that of the Thomson. On returning to the
Albert from his expedition to the south-west he came to a river which he
named O'Shanassy, which has long and deep reaches of water. In the
waterholes on the southern side of Barkly's Tableland, which he followed
down for seventy miles, he found plenty of fish, and his impression was
that these fish came up fr