opinion and conduct in the matter appeared in The Argus of that morning,
but for what purpose it had been written he was unable to say. He
rejoiced in the present meeting, however, as the best of all possible
answers to such a piece of invidiousness. (Hear.) One of the
characteristic signs of the present age was the very great progress of
discovery in opening up regions of the earth which had hitherto been
hermetically sealed even to the eye of intelligence. It was a very
suggestive fact to his mind that the successful exploration of Central
Africa and the great Australian Continent had been reserved for the
present day, that until now these immense dominions had been unknown
lands to the civilised world; and that not until the latter half of the
nineteenth century had the honour been conferred on the enterprising sons
of that wonderful little island far away in the north sea--peopled by
Christian Britons--of penetrating the mystery, and finding out that,
instead of stony deserts and inhospitable wilds, those countries
contained luxuriant fields, abundant waters, and balmy woods--inviting
homes for millions and millions of human beings, or rather let him say
for flourishing nations. (Applause.) The present marked a great era in
the history of this hemisphere. A benignant Providence had lifted the
cloud of their ignorance, and they heard a kindly voice calling upon them
to arise, to go forth, to possess, to subdue, to people this goodly land.
(Hear, hear.) The friends whose success they had met to celebrate that
evening would henceforth have their names enrolled with those of
Mitchell, Leichhardt, Sturt, Gregory, and Burke and Wills, who had
sacrificed their lives to their zeal. (Hear, hear.) To the two latter
explorers belonged the praise--which time would never obscure or
diminish--of having been the first to solve the practicability of
traversing this great continent from south to north. The names which he
mentioned constituted a brilliant catalogue; and he ventured to think
that no inferior splendour would henceforth illustrate the names--now
familiar as household words--of Stuart, Landsborough, and McKinlay.
(Cheers and loud cries of "King.") The name of King ought also most
assuredly to be included. (Cheers.) They were a noble band, and he wished
they had all been present that night. He rejoiced to have the opportunity
of seeing those explorers who were present, of looking on their faces,
speaking to them, shaking h