The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 290, 11 August 1855, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times.

iSaturday, August 11. We extract the following notice of an intended expedition into the interior of Australia, from the " Sydney Morning Herald," of the 7th July ; it is perhaps the most in.^teresting intelligence we could give our reaaeto £««»*»_..-A-noLtx-aiin. — * """ " It may be interesting1 to the Australian colonists to learn what, by some strange chance, appears to be almost unknown 'to the public, that an Expedition is about to leave Sydney in s^few days, having for its object the exploration of the unknown interior of this vast continent. An attempt is once more to be made towards a solution of tie problem which basso long baffled the energy and perseverance of our Australian pioneers, and which has already cost us many valuable lives. To penetrate into the heart of the country, to explore its boundless wastes, and to investigate its natural capabilities—these were the duties which Leichhardt, Sturt, Mitchell, Grey, Kennedy, and others, have undertaken with various degrees of success; and it is with like objects that the present expedition is about to start, under the auspices of Mr. ory"To the suggestion of the Geographical So-

ciety of London is due the organization of the expedition-—the entire expense of which is to be defrayed by the Imperial Government. Mr. Gregory, who is an experienced htishman, and is already favourably known as an enterprising and successful explorer, by his journeys inland from the Swan River, has under his command a party of twenty, including a geologist, botanist, surgeon, and draughtsman. Two vessels, the Monarch and Tom Tough, have been engaged, and it is proposed to leave Sydney about the middle of this month, proceeding in the first instance to Moreton Bay, there to take in the live stock, already provided at Brisbane by an agent of the expedition. From, Moreton Bay, the expedition will proceed round Cape York into the Gulf of Carpentaria, skirting the whole Northern coast, as closely as circumstances may allow, to the mouth of the Victoria River, in Latitude 1440 S., and longitude 129-21 E. Arrived at the Victoria River, the party will proceed up the course of that stream as far as it is navigable ; it will then disembark, and taking up Captain Stokes' track, will follow the bed of the river as far as practicable. Beyond this, the course of the expedition has not been positively determined, it being wisely left to the discretion of Mr. Gregory to proceed in that direction which seems to be most promising.

It may tend to heighten our interest in this expedition to know that it may possibly throw some light on the fate of Leichhardt. The route which that unfortunate traveller proposed to take, on setting1 out on his last expedition, if pursued by him so far to the westward as the longitude of the Victoria, will be crossed by Mr. Gregory's expedition ; and it will at all events be ascertained with tolerable certainty whether Leichhardt had proceeded so far towards the object of his journey. A.s to the probability of finding the lost traveller, at this distance of time, it would be idle to indulge any hopes. But tjiat some traces of him may be discovered, is possible, and we cling to any chance, however remote, which may shed any light upon the painful mystery. We cannot but think that the Government of this colony has been rather remiss in not taking cognizance of an expedition, in the result of which all the Australian colonies cannot but be interested. It is scarcely decent that no public sympathy should have been expressed towards this expedition, and no assistance of any kind tendered to Mr. Gregory and his companions."