Journal of Landsborough's Expedition from Carpentaria Part 3

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) W.H. NORMAN,

Commander, and Commander-in-Chief of Northern Exploring Parties.

W. Landsborough, Esquire.*

(*Footnote. It will be seen by this letter that Captain Norman approved of my searching to the south-east when I returned from the south-west. I may mention that, when bidding Captain Norman goodbye, before starting, he told me that he would be very glad to see me return to the depot at the end of two months.)

(Number 3.)

Albert River Depot, November 15 1861.

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day, and to state that I hope to start on the journey recommended by you in accordance with the instruction of the Exploration Committee.

I shall do my utmost to find traces of Mr. Burke and his companions between here and Central Mount Stuart, and will, D.V., return within the time (ninety days) which you have given me for that purpose, if I am not delayed from sickness, or from the country being rather too dry or too wet. I am very much pleased to learn from you that you are willing, as well as lies in your power, to a.s.sist me in making a second journey in search of Mr. Burke and his companions, between here and his depot on Cooper's Creek; because I believe the traces seen of an exploring party by Messrs. Cornish and Buchanan, nearly three hundred miles this side of it, were of the parties we want to find, especially as that is a route which the Victorian and South Australian parties may not be able to explore, and one upon which my knowledge of the country will, I hope, be of service to me.

With many thanks for the able a.s.sistance you have at all times given in carrying out the views intended by this expedition, etc.,

I have the honour to be, Sir, with best wishes for your own health and welfare,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) W. LANDSBOROUGH,

Commander of the Victorian and Queensland Land Expedition.

Captain Norman of H.M.C.S. Victoria.

(COPY.)

Depot, Albert River, December 20 1861.

Sir,

Mr. Walker's party having arrived here for supplies on the 7th instant, and left again this day, to return to the Flinders River for the purpose of following up the tracks they have found of Mr. Burke to wherever they may be led by them, I deem it my duty to inform you that for the relief of Mr. Burke I consider it is not necessary you should return by the overland route, as Mr. Walker's party will, no doubt, do all that is possible, and not give up the following of the missing party by their tracks to wherever they may lead to.

And notwithstanding my sanction to the contrary I deem it my duty to inform you that for the relief of the missing explorers it is not necessary for you return overland with your party, and that you ought to return by the Victoria to Queensland in accordance with the instructions of the Royal Society.

But as much will depend on the time you return here, and condition of your horses and party for immediate service, to overtake and render a.s.sistance in pursuing the tracks found, I must leave it to your own decision to determine whether you do so or abandon your horses and return by water.

As all the stores are at the depot that can be spared from the Victoria (ammunition included) and I have left instruction for their being packed in 50-pound packages ready for immediate use, should you arrive here in time to overtake Mr. Walker your party might render some service towards the main object of the expedition by joining in the following up of the tracks found.

I have the honour to be, etc.,

(Signed) W.H. NORMAN,

Commander, and Commander-in-Chief of Northern Expedition Parties.

W. Landsborough, Esquire,

Leader of Brisbane Party for relief of Burke, etc.

(COPY.)

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 pa.s.sed 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.

(COPY.)

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,