nature of the country; as
well as to supply some blanks which were evidently left to be
filled in afterwards, especially in regard to the route back,
which, from the determination at our observatory of one of his
earlier camps, from an observation of one of the planets which is
recorded, seems to have been considerably to the eastward of the
course pursued in going, though this is not expressly so stated.

I need hardly add that as soon as Mr. Ligar finishes this chart I
will send you copies of it, as also the report of the commission of
inquiry.

The country towards Carpentaria or Burke's Land--as I hope it will
be called--seems so good that there can be little doubt of the
formation, at no distant date, of a colony on the shores of that
estuary;--a project which you have long, I know, had at heart; and
before we recall the several parties sent out for the relief of the
missing expedition, I trust we shall be able so far to complete the
task as to connect the settled country, by Mr. Howitt's aid, with
Burke's Land by the best possible route; and, by means of the party
sent by sea in the Victoria steamer, to add greatly to our
knowledge of the Gulf, and of the embouchures of the different
rivers falling into it.

Believe me ever,

My dear Sir Roderick,

Yours very truly,

HENRY BARKLY.

Government Offices, Melbourne, 25th November, 1861.

P.S.--After I had finished my letter, I received a memorandum from
the Surveyor-General respecting Mr. Wills's astronomical
observations, which is of so much importance that I enclose it for
your information, not having time to get a copy made.

H.B.

. . .

It has been remarked, with some disposition to draw
uncharitable conclusions therefrom, that no religious expressions,
or any specific references to that all-important subject, are to be
found in the field-books and journals that have been given to the
public. On this point, King said, in reply to Question 1714, "I
wish to state, with regard to there being no particular tokens of
religion recorded in any part of the diaries, that we each had our
Bible and Prayer-book, and occasionally read them going and coming
back; and also the evening before the death of Mr. Burke, I am
happy to say, he prayed to God for forgiveness for the past, and
died happy, a sincere Christian."

The curtain drops here on the history of the great Victorian
Exploring Expedition, and little more remains to be told of its
results or shortco