Part 7

Leader of Brisbane Party for relief of Burke, etc.

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H.M.C.S. Victoria, off the Albert River, February 7 1862.

Sir,

I do myself the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 22nd ultimo reporting your return, and containing an outline of your proceedings, and the nature of the country you passed through going towards and returning from the direction of Central Mount Stuart; also a tracing of your route for the Royal Society of Victoria.

In reply to your requisition in the same for a further supply of stores for use on going on the south-east route, I regret to inform you that, from not having them, I shall be unable to supply you with tea, sugar, and rum; but such other articles as we have and can spare you will be furnished with; but should you consider it will in any way endanger your party going overland without the stores you have asked for, or from the smallness of the number for which you can carry stores, or for protection, I do not consider that it is imperative you should do so, having every reason to believe that Mr. Walker's party will do everything that is possible and necessary to continue following up of Mr. Burke's tracks, and you can all return by Victoria; but, as you have stated, there is a possibility of Walker losing the tracks, and you will have the same chance of finding and following them up as he will by going on the south-eastern route, you have my sanction to proceed if you consider you can with safety do so, taking with you as many of your party and whom you think proper, and the remainder will be taken round by this vessel.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) W.H. NORMAN,

Commander, and Commander-in-Chief of Northern Exploring Expedition to Gulf of Carpentaria.

W. Landsborough Esquire, Leader of Brisbane party, etc.

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H.M.C.S. Victoria, off Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria, February 6 1862.

Sir,

In reply to your letter of the 20th December 1861, in which you tell me you do not deem it necessary for me to go on the second expedition I proposed, namely, to the south-east, as Mr. Walker will no doubt do all that is possible and not give up following the missing party, I beg to disagree with you. I think, now that the tracks have been found, that it is an additional reason for my going on the expedition, and that I will have a much better chance of being successful in the main object of the expedition than I had on my last one.

Mr. Walker will not be able probably to follow the tracks of Mr. Burke and his companions, as too long a time has elapsed since these tracks were made.

In conclusion I thank you for the sanction you have given me to proceed on this expedition, especially as I never would have had anything to do with it had I imagined that I would have been checked in going the way I now propose; for all along I thought it would be the way where Burke's tracks were most likely to be found, and more particularly after I learned from Messrs. Cornish and Buchanan that they had seen what they believed to be the tracks of Burke's party, about 200 miles to the westward of Mount Narien.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) W. LANDSBOROUGH,

Commander of the Victorian and Queensland Land Expedition.

Captain Norman, H.M.C.S. Victoria, Commander-in-Chief of Northern Expedition Parties.

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(NUMBER 5.)

Depot, Albert River, January 22.