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, and under circumstances of hardship and privation, the conduct of the men was very good. I took an armed party to the scene of pillage, and buried the bodies of the two men, who appeared to have been treacherously murdered while asleep by the blacks during the absence of Mr. Finch: no natives were to be found when I visited the spot, although it appeared from columns of smoke on hills which overlooked if, that they were watching our movements. The party has now arrived within a day's journey of Brown's station, and I have instructed Assistant-Surveyor White (from whom I have received great assistance during the whole journey) to conduct it homewards, being desirous to proceed without delay to Sydney, and to receive the instructions of His Excellency the Governor. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, T. L. MITCHELL, SURVEYOR-GENERAL. THE HON. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, "&c. &c. &c." Chapter VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS Obstacles that attend travelling into the interior of Australia-- Difficulty of carrying supplies--Importance of steady intelligent subordinates--Danger from the natives--Number of men requisite,--and of cattle and carriages--Provisions--Other arrangements--Treatment of the natives--Dimensions of the boat used in the second expedition. Having now had considerable experience in the fitting out and management of expeditions in New South Wales, I cannot refrain from making some few observations on the subject. And without presuming to lay dawn any fixed rules, I shall only refer to those by which I have best succeeded, in hopes that some of my remarks may prove of use to future travellers who may venture to penetrate into the trackless deserts over so small a portion of which I wandered. DIFFICULTIES OF EXPLORING AUSTRALIA. The great difficulty of examining the interior of Australia, is that of carrying supplies; for increasing the number of individuals composing an expedition is of no avail, since an additional number of men must necessarily increase the consumption of food. In order to meet this difficulty it has been proposed to establish depots upon which an expedition could fall back to recruit its supplies, and in ordinary cases this plan might answer; but I am decidedly of opinion that no party could long remain stationary in the distant interior without some fatal collision with the natives, which would be attended with the most deplorable consequence
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