now presented.

...

(NUMBER 1.)

BRISBANE PARTY, W. LANDSBOROUGH, ESQUIRE, LEADER, REPORT TO 30TH
SEPTEMBER 1861.

(COPY.)

Sweer's Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, 30th September 1861.

To Captain Norman of Her Majesty's Colonial War Steamer Victoria, and
Commander-in-chief of Northern Expedition Parties.

Sir,

I have the honour to inform you that the greatest attention was paid by
my parties to the horses for the expedition on board the Firefly, and
they ought, during the eight days after leaving Moreton Bay, while we had
the finest weather, to have done well, if their allowance of five gallons
of water each a day had been sufficient for them; but with that allowance
they were so thirsty that they did not thrive well. That quantity of
water may do well for horses intended for the Indian market, where they
can be fattened afterwards; but for our expedition horses, which were
intended for immediate service on landing, to be kept in a close hold,
confined by the cargo of the vessel, and fed with dry forage (they did
not eat the carrots at first, until they had acquired a taste for them)
eight gallons of water each per day at least should have been allowed to
them.

On Sunday the 1st instant, when Captain Kirby expected to get through the
Raine Island passage on the following day, where he hoped to get such
calm weather that it would admit of your giving him a fresh supply of
water, he allowed our party to give the horses a good drink. On that
occasion they drank each, on an average, nine gallons. Towards evening of
the same day the breeze freshened into a gale, and about ten at night,
when the Firefly was head-reaching under close-reefed sails, we had the
misfortune to lose sight of H.M.C.S. Victoria, under your command.

On Monday the 2nd instant the gale continued, and during the night the
ship was hove to with her head to the eastward.

On Tuesday the 3rd instant the gale still continued, but Captain Kirby,
having got observations of the sun, he boldly made sail in for the reefs,
and between eleven and twelve a.m. he sighted the Raine Island beacon,
and early in the afternoon he went through the passage, and got into
smooth water, where we congratulated ourselves, and were thankful, I
hope, to God, for the comparative safety of ourselves, and also of the
horses under our charge.

All the horses were alive except one, which, from the sand being pumped
from under its feet, had not been able to stand dur