ny he had
thrown open to settlement the vast area of the north-western coastal
territory; and after relieving the Murchison from the stigma of
barrenness that rested on it, he had discovered and made known all the
rivers to the north and east, until the Oakover was reached.

It is singular that Frank Gregory should, like nearly all explorers, have
erred greatly in the deductions he drew. When forced to turn back from
the country beyond the Oakover, he much laments the fact, because, not
only had we now attained to within a very few miles of the longitude in
which, from various geographical data, there are just grounds for
believing that a large river may be found to exist draining central
Australia; but the character of the country appeared strongly to indicate
the vicinity of such a feature."

Of course we now know that no such river drains the centre of Australia.
On the contrary, beyond Gregory's eastern limit there occurs a long
stretch of coastline unmarked by the mouth of any river. Inland, to the
southward, the country even in this day is known as the most hostile and
repellant desert in Australia, markedly deficient in continuous
watercourses. Providence, then, restrained his footsteps from a land
wherein earth and sun seem to unite in hostility against the white
intruder. It is a pity that Frank Gregory did not give his undoubted
powers of description free scope in his Journal. Now and again he gives
them rein; but soon calls a halt, as though alarmed that picturesque
language should be found in a scientific, geographical journal. His
brother Augustus was unfortunately just as correct and precise.

Frank went to reside in Queensland in 1862, and was nominated to the
Legislative Council of that colony in 1874. Before going to Queensland he
had acted for some time as Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was
married at Ipswich, Queensland, to the daughter of Alexander Hume. He
held office for some time in the McIlwraith Ministry, as
Postmaster-General. He was a gold medallist of the Royal Geographical
Society, and one of the best of the Australian explorers, as bushman,
navigator, surveyor, and scientist. He died at Toowoomba, in 1888, on the
24th of October.

CHAPTER 19. FROM WEST TO EAST.

19.1. AUSTIN.

By 1854 the gold fever was running high in Australia, and each colony was
eager to discover new diggings within its borders. Robert Austin,
Assistant Surveyor-General of Western Australia, was