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.
...
(COPY.)
(NUMBER 5.)
Depot, Albert River, January 22.
Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that our party arrived here all safe and
in good health on the morning of the 19th instant, when we were informed
of the successful overland journey, through, in a great measure, an
unknown country, of Walker's party, and of the glorious news of their
having found the tracks at the Flinders River of Burke's party returning
from the Gulf of Carpentaria; and also of your having found tracks lower
down the river, which were probably older than those found by Mr.
Walker's party, as the latter were the return tracks.
Mr. Walker's party, as you observe in your letter of the 20th ultimo,
will no doubt do all that is possible and not give up (if he can follow
the tracks) following the missing party, in whatever direction they may
go. This however they will find difficult and tedious, if not altogether
impossible.
I have brought back all the horses with the exception of two that were
drowned. I shall therefore, as I have your sanction, so soon as I have
recruited the horses and rested till there is a probability of my party
being able to travel, which we cannot do at present, as the country is, I
think, too boggy, start again, with a better hope of success in the main
object of the expedition than I had on my last journey, when, in
accordance with my instructions, I went as far as the dry state of the
country and my time would admit in the direction of Central Mount Stuart.
For our next expedition we have, as you are aware, no tea nor sugar. When
you are leaving, I am sure, if you can spare us any of these necessary
articles, you will do so; also some lime-juice, rum, quinine, caster oil,
and laudanum, which are so useful for the prevention or cure of diseases
to which we will be liable during or after wet weather.