MR. STUARTS RETURN.

Wellington Independent, Volume VI, Issue 1694, 24 January 1862, Page 5

MR. STUARTS RETURN.

NOBTHERN EXPJDOBATIONS,

The following is copied from the South Australian Register, Sept. 23 : —

The return of Mr. Stuart to Adelaide from his long and perilous journey will be hailed by bis friends and the colonists generally, with delight and thankfulness. That Mr. Stuart's party should have accomplished an undertaking without mishap of any kind is most creditable to the skill and prudence of their leader. It will be remembered that Mr. Stuart returned from his last expedition in a very weak and emaciated state. This time, however, he seems to have suffered no more inconvenience than if he bad taken a ride from Adelaide to Kooriugo ; and Mr. Woodforde, who bas returned to tuwn with him, seems to be in a most robust state of health.

A few days ago, on the authority of a telegram received in town, we stated that Mr. Stuart I had crossed the continent. But this does not appear to have been precisely the case, although it may be considered that the coutinent had beeu virtually crossed. We have had an opportunity of conversing with bim since his return, but be does not feel himself at liberty to furnish details of his expedition for publication .except through an official channel. His report will, we presume, be in the hands of the Government in two or three days, when we hope to be able to place the full particulars before our readers. We understand that Mr. Stuart has been able to attain a point considerably to the northward of that reached by him on his

of Leichardt would now be futile. He ha possible, however, to penetrate the iaterior in the direction from which it appears cattle marked with Leitchardt's brand are now said to be wandering. The fate of that intrepid explorer is therefore still a mystery; but he has been too long lost to warrant the faiutest hope that his life can have been saved by means like those through which there seems reason to believe Mr. Burke and his companions are still maintaining their existence. To hope for the return last journey. The place at which he was formerly obliged to turn back was, it will be remembered, iv lat 18 °47' S., and long. 134 ° E. In the journey just now concluded he is said to have penetrated considerably to the northward of the southernmost point of the. Gulf of Carpentaria. This would bring him into Arnheiin's Land and would probably overlap Gregory's position upon the Victoria River by 100 or 200 miles. But the precise lattitude and longitude attained by Mr. Stuart will not we suppose, be generally known until communicated by the Government. It will probably be announced in Parliament to-morrow.

Mr. Stuart has kindly given us some few scraps of intelligence which we endeavor to lay before our readers in a form asconeccted as the imperfect nature of the information will admit of.

Attack Creek, the scene of the former affray with the natives, appears to have heeu reached i without adventure or material difficulty, the party going nearly upon Mr. Stuart's old track ; but either there or at some creek beyond, seven or eight blackfellows made themselves troublesome, and eventually one gun was fired at them. This, and perhaps the number of persons .com posing the exploring party, frightened the assailants, and they went away. No other interruption of this kind Tras experienced. Bej yond Attack Creek, are some mountain ranges, and on crossing these the travellers came upon an immense plain, which Mr. Stuart describes as being the richest he ever beheld, consisting i of black alluvial soil from sixteen to twenty feet deep, and covered with luxuriant grasses four and four feet six inches high. Of these Mr. Stuart has shown us specimens, which fully justify the praise he lavishes upon them. Oue appears to be a native wheat, having a tolerably large head, containing close and solid grains of full size. Another is a species of rice, rather, smaller than the ordinary grain. There are 9 or 10 besides, mostly varieties of kangaroo grass some of them both peculiar and beautiful; one in particular would, we think, make excellent fodder. The rich soil was difficult for the travellers, as it abounded in those large fissures which early colonists will remember in the neighbourhood of Mount Barker and Aldinga. These, being concealed by the high grass, made dangerous pitfalls for the horses, which were continually tumbling into them. On this part of the continent Mr. Stuart informs us that be met with an extensive forest of mulgar trees growing closely together, and having straight trunks of a foot or eighteen inches diameter, which rise to a height of from thirty to fifty-feet before the springing of branches. Through this Mr. Stuart forced his horses and lost two of them, his difficulties being materially increased by an almost impenetrable scrub of underwood. The mulgar tree has a small leaf something like that of the hawthorn, and a kind of honey mavgbe extracted from the branches.

In this neighbourhood the explorers came upon a succession of lakes, one of which Mr. Stuart describes as being ten miles in length, 150 ykrds wide, aud seventeen feet deep. Upon these waters there are numerous pelicans. Mr. John Woodforde caught several fine fish with a hook. Their size was about that of a tnackarel, aud their flavour very delicate.

The course of the chain of pools was followed for about twenty-five miles, and so far as we can gather, a camp was then formed, from which Mr. Stuart made no less than thirteen excursions, with a view of endeavouring to reach the seaboard, or the navigable portion of the Victoria River, in one of which his horses were for 106 hours without water, and finally he was compelled to turn back, the whole party having been at the same time upon short rations.

We understand him to say that he had been in the neighborhood of Mr. Gregory's last camp on the Camfield, one of the sources of the Victoria.

Mr. Stuart is enthusiastic in his commendations of the country which he passed through, the rich and varied vegetation upon which ex» tends, as be informs us, for 100 miles.

When Mr. Stuart was nearly at his furthest point be found in a tree a little boat, about three feet six inches long and a foot broad. It was hollowed out from a solid piece of bean-wood, and contained the body of an infant. From this it appears that the Datives of that part of Australia adopt a somewhat similar method of disp )s\ng of their dead to that which is practised by their southern brethern. Near the same place he saw a ruined wurley, in which was a similar boat, about eighteen inches long, having a bole in the bottom stopped with a lump of beeswax. This had been apparently used as a vessel for carrying water. The boats are described as being beautifully formed. They will be brought to Adelaide with the baggage. The district iv which they were found presented many evidences of being an inhabited country, and there were many native tracts, but no natives were seen.

Mr. Stuart has collected numerous geological specimens, which will shortly arrive in Adelaide. He states that the ranges for tweuty miles on each side of central Mount Stuart are mainly composed of quartz, granite, and ironstone. Mr. StuaTt aud Mr. Woodforde left the rest of tbe party at Moolooloo on Monday, 16th of September and reached Okina Creek the same evening. They slept at Mr. Loudens station on the 17th, and arrived at. Port Augusta on Wednesday evening, the 18th, just in time for the Lubra, which sailed on the following day,

Of the conduct of all bis companions Mr. Stuart speaks in the highest terms. He informs us that they enjoyed the best possible health during the whole of the journey. This he attributes in some degree to their free use of a native plant somewhat resembling a lettuce. When young it is boiled like fruit, or made into jam, as it grows older it is eaten as a salad, and when running into seed it imparts an agreeable flavour to soup:

It is singular that announcements concerning Stuait and Burke should have been made in the House of Assembly on the same day ; bwt, to make the matter more interesting, the Commissioner of Crown lands gave also some information as to the long lost expedition of Leichardt' Ho stated on the authority of Mr. McKinlay, from information obtained in Melbourne, that cattle had recently been found ou the northeastern part of the Victoria, now known as the Cooper, so branded that they were distinguishable as cattle taken from Moretonßayby Leichardt. It would be seen from this that Mr Gregory, who started in search of the lost expedition three years ago, and who came down the Victoria to this colony, was really on the track when he left New South Wales, had be but been able to follow it up. He. found it im-

[perished a martyr to the cause in which Mr. Stuart has triumphed, and in which South Australia has taken a part that would be well and nobly terminated by the rescue of Mr. Burke and his three followers.

The remaining portion of Mr. Stuart's party arrived in Adelaide by the first train from Kapunda on Tuesday morning. The gallant fellows were met at the railway station by numerv ous friends ; and as they issued from the carriges a hearty cheer was given by a large number of persons, whom the occasion had collected together. Mr. Kelwick had the two canoes spoken of in the diary, and they excited a great deal of interest. Shortly after 11 o'clock the brave leader and his companions were invited by a few friends to partake of a lunch provided at Aid ridge's. About 20 gentlemen sat down. — Australian Observer, October 5.