d from my
observations of the sun that I am now camped in the CENTRE OF AUSTRALIA."
One of the greatest problems of Australian discovery was solved! The
Centre of the continent was reached, and, instead of being an
inhospitable desert or an inland sea, it was a splendid grass country
through which ran numerous watercourses.

Leaving the Centre, a north-westerly course was followed, but, after
various repulses, a north-easterly course eventually carried the party as
far as latitude 18 degrees 47 minutes south, longitude 134 degrees, when
they were driven back by the hostility of the natives. As has already
been stated, Mr. Gregory in 1855, starting from the north-west coast, had
penetrated to the south as low as latitude 20 degrees 16 minutes,
longitude 127 degrees 35 minutes. Mr. Stuart had now reached a position
about half-way between Gregory's lowest southward point and the head of
the Gulf of Carpentaria. Without actually reaching the country explored
by Gregory, he had overlapped his brother explorer's position by one
degree and a half, or more than one hundred miles, and was about two
hundred and fifty miles in actual distance from the nearest part of the
shores of the Gulf. It is important to remark that the attack of the
savages which forced Mr. Stuart to return occurred on June 26th, 1860, so
that he had virtually crossed the continent two months before Messrs.
Burke and Wills had left Melbourne.* (* They did not leave Cooper Creek
until December 14th, rather more than a fortnight before Mr. Stuart
started on his fifth expedition.)

On New Year's day 1861, Mr. Stuart again left Adelaide, aided this time
by a grant from the Colonial Government of 2500 pounds, in addition to
the assistance of his well-tried friends Messrs. Chambers and Finke. He
made his former position with ease, and advanced about one hundred miles
beyond it, to latitude 17 degrees, longitude 133 degrees; but an
impenetrable scrub barred all further progress, and failing provisions,
etc., compelled him, after such prolonged and strenuous efforts that his
horses on one occasion were one hundred and six hours without water, most
reluctantly to return. The expedition arrived safely in the settled
districts in September, and the determined explorer, after a delay of
less than a month, was again despatched by the South Australian
Government along what had now become to him a familiar road. This time
success crowned his efforts; a passage was found n