to lead to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

My department having been reduced to a state of inactivity in 1843, I
submitted a plan of exploration to Sir George Gipps, the Governor, when
His Excellency promised, that if the Legislative Council made such
reductions as they seemed disposed to make in the public expenditure, he
should be able to spare money for such an expedition. The Legislative
Council not only made reductions in the estimates to save much more money
than His Excellency had named, but even voted 1000L. towards the expense
of the journey, and petitioned the Governor to sanction it. His
Excellency, however, then thought it necessary to refer the subject to
the Secretary for the Colonies. Much time was thus lost, and, what was
still worse, the naturalist to whom I had explained my plan, and invited
to join my party, Dr. Leichardt. This gentleman, tempted by the general
interest taken by the colonists at the time in a journey of discovery,
which afforded a cheering prospect amid the general gloom and
despondency, raised and equipped a small party by public subscription,
and proceeded by water to Moreton Bay. Dr. Leichardt, and the six persons
who finally accompanied him thence to the northward, had not been heard
of, and were supposed to have either perished or been destroyed by
natives. [* Dr. Leichhardt returned afterwards to Sydney from Port
Essington by sea; and the journal of his journey, recently published,
shows what difficulties may be surmounted by energy and perseverance.]

The reply of Lord Stanley was, as might have been anticipated, favourable
to the undertaking; but the Governor of the colony still declined to
allow the journey to be undertaken, without assigning any reason for
keeping it back. This was the more regretted by me, when it became known
in New South Wales that Captain Sturt was employed, with the express
sanction of Lord Stanley, to lead an exploring expedition from Adelaide
into the northern interior of Australia, and that he was actually then in
New South Wales. Sir George Gipps had expressed, in one of his early
despatches to the British Government, his readiness to encourage such an
undertaking as that, and stated that "no one came forward to claim the
honour of such an enterprise;" yet now that Lord Stanley had sanctioned
the plan of the Surveyor General, whose duty it was to survey the
country, he refused to allow this officer to proceed. The Legislative
Council, however, renewed the