Having received instructions from the Honourable the Secretary for Lands
and Public Works to organise an expedition for the purpose of searching
for traces of Dr. Leichhardt and party, who left New South Wales in 1848
with the intention of proceeding overland to Western Australia, I
proceeded to Moreton Bay with such portions of the equipment as had been
prepared in Sydney. On reaching Ipswich forty horses were purchased, and
having despatched the stores to Mr. Royd's station, on the Dawson River,
by drays, the party were collected at that place; but, owing to
unforeseen delays in the transport of the stores, the equipment and
organisation of the expedition was not complete till the latter part of
March.
The following list of the party, horses, stores, etc., will show the
principal arrangements.
The party consisted of nine persons, namely: Commander A.C. Gregory;
assistant commander, C.F. Gregory; assistant, S. Burgoyne; overseer, G.
Phibbs; stockmen, etc., R. Bowman, W. Selby, T. Dunn, W. von Wedel, and
D. Worrell. The stock consisted of horses alone, comprising thirty-one
pack and nine saddle horses, completely equipped. Provisions comprised
the dried meat of two bullocks and four sheep, weighing, as butcher's
meat, 16 hundredweight; but when dried and the bones removed, reduced to
300 pounds. In addition to this 500 pounds bacon, 1600 pounds flour, 100
pounds rice, 350 pounds sugar, 60 pounds tea, 40 pounds tobacco, and some
minor articles. The arms and ammunition were: one minie rifle, eight
double-barrel guns, nine revolver pistols, 25 pounds gunpowder, 150
pounds shot and balls, percussion caps, etc. For the conveyance of water
two leather water-bags were provided, each holding five gallons, besides
which each of the party was furnished with a water-bag of India-rubber
holding three pints. The tents were made of calico, each suited for the
accommodation of two persons, and the several articles of camp equipage
were of the lightest construction consistent with the service required.
The instruments employed were an eight-inch sextant, box-sextant,
prismatic compasses, pocket compasses, double axis compass, aneroid
barometers, thermometers, and artificial horizon, etc. Including forty
sets of horse-shoes, farrier's and carpenter's tools, together with
sundry material for repairs, etc., the total weight of the equipment was
about 4,600 pounds, exclusive of the saddles and harness, which gave an
average load of 150 pounds as the net load carried by each pack-horse.