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THE LANDSBOROUGH TESTIMONIAL.
The very great interest attaching to the subject
of exploration by the public at large was mani-
fested yesterday by the attendance at the Exhibi-
tion Building, William street, of a large number
of ladies and gentlemen drawn together by the
announcement that the testimonial that has been
subscribed for, was to be presented to tae suc
cessful explorer, William Lindsborough, Esq. It
will be in the recollection of all our readers how
thoroughly the task entrusted to that gentlemai
was carried out ; and with what untiring assiduity
and undaunted courage he followed the search
instigated for the discovery of the ill- fated Messrs
Burke and Wills. Th-- successful prosecution of
this arduous enterprise entitles Mr Landsborough
to be ranked amongst the chief of our Australian
explorers, if not indeed the first, although not
; actually the first with regard to time. The pre
Bentation of tha testimonial took place at three
o'clock yeBterday afternoon, ir. the presence of a
large company, his Excellency the Governor be
coming himself the medium of presentation.
His I'xcbllbnot said: I have bee ? depued, Mr
Landsborough, by my co-subscr bers to present to
you the accompanying service of plate, in testi
mony of our high appreciation of t'.ie courage (md
End skill displayed 5y you as a leader of the expe
dition despatched under the joint auspices of the
Govermients of Queensland and of Tictoria to
the Gulf of Carpentaria in search ol these illus
trious yet ill-fated explorers, Burke and Wills.
Long before you were fortunately Belec*ed to fill
that arduous post, by bo competent a judge as Mr
Gregory, the Surveyor- General of Queensland,
you had acquired reputation in that colony as a
skilful and experienced bushman. ~'You had been
engaged, in f.tct, ever since 1853 in seeking fresh
pasturage, and had, with tho scanty means placed
at your disposal by piivate enterprise, penetrated
in'o well grassed and well watered regions border
ing on those which you were afterwards destimd,
in the course of tha-. expedition, to traverse. How
admirably, after such training, you performed
the public duties allotted to you, dispite ship
wreck, and its attendant losses at suiting,
which necessitated short allowance to your
party from the first, and obliged it eventually
to proceed on its land expedition with very inade
quate supplies, I need not recaaitulate in detail,
Bince the proofs are on record. But I cannot for
bear from pointing out, that if, after being driven
back by want of water from your first expedition
to ih» south west — during which Mr Walker had
arrived at the Albert and off again to follow
Burke's tracks to the southward' — you had been
contant to return on board the Victoria to More
ton B iy, as desired, on the score of prudence and
economy, by Captain Norman, you would not
merely have escaped bUrae, but have avoided the
serious responsibility which your determination
to undertake a hazardous journey across the con
tinent .vith the limited means at your command
involved. Your ardent mind, however, was not
satisfied with such an inglorious termination
to an expedition from which so much
had been expected ; your natural in
trepidity led you to hold lightly any idea ot
personal risk, and, backed by the zealous support
of your second in command, Mr Bourne, and the
hearty co-operation of the rest of your party,
inu uding two faithful aborigineB, you accom
plished that wondrously successful transit from
sea to sea, which has so widely extended our
geographical knowledge of the interior, whilst, at
the same time, by opening up an easy route for
stock from the southern colonies to the very
shores of Carpentaria, it has accelerated by many
years the colonisation of Northern Australia.
In comparison with services such as these, the
intrinsic value ot the testimonial we have now
to offer is indeed smalt ; but I feel sure, neverthe
less, that you will prize it as the gift of your
private friend* and admirers in this colony, and
that if, as I trust you are now, after all your
wanderings, about to settle on some homestead of
your own, to become the founder of nn Austra
lian family, you will hand it down as an heirloom
to your children's children, — a memento alike of
the exploit their ancestor performed, and of the'
honors this day paid him on account of it.
The following is the inscription : — ' To William
Landsborough, Esq., Cjmmander of the Expedi
tion from Carpentaria in search of Burke and
Wills, this salver and the accompanying pieces of
plate are presented, by numerous friends and ad
mirers in Victoria, to express their appreciat on of
the conrage and skill with which he successfully
crossed this continent and opened up a vast terri
tory, won from the deaert for, Australian enter
prise and for civilisation.. Melbourne, ,12th No
vember, lbOi.'
The Balver, and an exceedingly handsome and
appropriate service of plate, having been presented,
Mr Landsbosouoii replied nearly as follows : —
Your Excellency, Ladies, and Gentlemen, — .
The beautiful service of plate that you have pre
sented' to me, 1 shall ever cherish as a memorial
of the kindness I have received here. I have
now resided in this city for several monthB, and
during that time have been received 'vith great
hospitality, and have made the acquaint
ance of many whose friendship I trust
I shall retain through life. (Hear.) When
I started on my expedition in search of Burke and
Wills it was with the knowledge that if I did my
beBt I would receive a full acknowledgment of my
services, and in this respect my hopes have certainly
met with the most ample realisation. The honor
conferred on me this day is in itself an ample re
ward for anything I may have done. On re
ference to my chart you will see that I followed
as nearly as possible ihe route taken by Burke
and Wills for a considerable distance, and hud it
been possible to have followed it entirely,
by the green line laid down in my
chart, I would have done so. Although this city
may be taken as the metropolis of the Australian
world, the territory of thf colony is m reality very
small. It therefore became me, when engaged by
the Royal Society to proceed to the other side of
the continent, to ttll on my return of the fine
country whioh I had seen, and if I deserve any
particular credit, it is because 1 did so ; and I can
assure you I did the utmost that my resources
would adm t of (Cheers.) Already much of
the Queensland frontier i3 occupied by Ticto
nans. un iieicnnarat s route tney are to oe
found with their flocks and herds within
300 arid 400 miles of Carpentaria, and with
in 000 miles on my route. They are, I
presume, supported by the capitalists here; who,
I hope, will get a good return, for the money they
have invested. Every valley and hill of Carpen
taria will be thoroughly explored when it is
stocked with sheep. When this is done, .1 hope
it will be found rich in minerals, like other part3
of Australia, Before I conclude, I may state that
I believe the fears entertained regarding
the fiito of Stuart, in consequence of the
flooded state of . the country, . will be
found to be groundless, for on hi; old route, on
which he would probably fall back, the country is
in many cases hilly, and free from inundation.
To-day, I might mention, thao I have received'
from Sir G. Bowen, the Governor of Queensland,
a very kind congratulatory letter, in which j
he says he has been absent from Brisbane for I
about two months, visiting the new settlement
which is being formed at Cape York, and he ex
presses himself much pleased with what I have
done. Sir George has also, I Bee, made reference !
j to my journey in his speech at the prorogation of
I Parliament there. (Cheers.)
j The presentation terminated with a vote of
thanks to h s Excellency, for presiding on the
occasion, which was oarried by acclamation.
Grea* Fire at Maldon. — On Tuesday evening
a miner, named John Dean, living on German
Reef, waB standing at the door of his tent when
he observed a small flame is. uing from the roof
of the engine house at the AtlaB Association's ;
plant. The fire-gong waB dounded, and the mem- j
bers of the fire brigade, in a very short space of '
time, had the engine out, and on its way to the ;
scene of the conflagration, ???ut it was quite evi
dent that the fire had obtained complete mastery
over the entire building, and the best that could
be done was to see to the safety of the buildings
adjacent. Everything connected with the plant
is totally destroyed save the naked engine, boiler,
Btampheads, and Chilian wheels ; the engine is
a:so injured. The origin of the fire is quite a
mystery, as the evidence shows that there had
been no fires about the place for some days, and
no candle burning since three o'clock on Tuesday
? afternoon. At the ir quest, on Wednesday, the
,'ury returned a verdict that the premises were
de»'Uoyc^ bv fire' there was no evidence to show
how r^e ^re originated, and that the evidence did
not sh-^^ carelessness by the men employed on
the workJ*' — Tarrengovtr Tim', 7th Npyember.
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