To the Royal Society of Victoria Exploration Committee   28 June 1861

1861 June 28th¹ — Report of the Sub. Committee on the question of sending the Victoria Steamship to the North Coast in aid of the Victorian Exploring Expedition.²

In drawing up their Report the Sub. Committee have proposed to themselves the following questions and they trust that the answers they have given will be viewed by the Exploration Committee as in accordance with the data upon which they are based.

1. In leaving Menindie in October and Coopers Creek in November did Mr Burke rely upon or expect any vessel to be sent to his assistance to the North Coast?

There can be no doubt that before the secession of Mr Landells & Dr Beckler from the party at Menindie³ Mr Burke entertained the idea of a vessel being sent to meet him on the North Coast but Mr Burke had arranged with Professor Neumayer with whom he had several conversations on the subject that he Prof Neumeyer should not on his return initiate that proposal. Again Mr Burke had distinctly arranged with Professor Neumayer, who left the main party at Belbarqur⁴ about 100 miles from Menindie, that he would remain on the Darling until he had himself communicated with the Chief Secretary and had made all necessary arrangements with the Exploration Committee with respect to a vessel[.]⁵ After the secession above referred to and after receiving, as the Sub. Committee believe, intelligence of Mr Stuarts return⁶ Mr Burke divided the main party and at once hastened on for the interior without alluding to the subject of a vessel either in his dispatch from Menindie or in his last dispatch from Lake Toro Vodo⁷ about 200 miles from Menindie

2. Did Mr Burke in arriving at Coopers Creek resolve to proceed to the Gulf of Carpentaria and did he leave dispatches at Coopers Creek detailing his plan of operations and particularly explaining the place of rendezvous he had determined on in expectation of a vessel being sent to his aid?

The Sub. Committee are of opinion that on arriving at Coopers Creek Mr Burke at once proceeded onwards to the Gulf of Carpentaria and they think it exceedingly probable that he left some dispatches buried in some suitable locality announcing his safe arrival there and his departure to the northward[.] The Sub. Committee have however no sufficient reason to believe that Mr Burke on arriving at Cooper's Creek finally resolved to communicate to the Exploration Committee his desire that a vessel should be sent to meet him and that, without any of the charts which he expected to have got had he remained for this purpose on the Darling, he fixed on a place of rendezvous and thenceforward relied on meeting such vessel on his reaching the northern shore

Mr Wright left Mr Burke at Lake Toro Vodo on the 29th October[.] He had instructions to return to Menindie to bring up the remainder of the party and stores to Coopers Creek, where he was to await Mr Burke's return.

Mr Burke made no mention of any probability of his altering his plans on his arrival at Coopers Creek or of any intention of leaving important dispatches there or of any probability of his requiring Mr Wright to communicate without delay with the Exploration Committee on the subject of a vessel.

The Sub. Committee are therefore of opinion that Mr Burke's plans were fully matured before Mr Wright left and that it would have been neither safe nor prudent for Mr Burke to leave important dispatches affecting the safety of his whole party and requiring a vessel to be sent to his aid to the chance of Mr Wright finding them at Coopers Creek Mr Burke having parted with Mr Wright only a fortnight before without mentioning his intention of leaving important despatches or indicating where or how these dispatches would be found

3. If it formed no part of the original plan of the Exploration Committee to send a vessel to the north coast to meet the Exploring party have any circumstances in the mean time arisen to justify the Exploration Committee in sending the Victoria Steam ship at a very considerable cost now that Mr Burke has been eight months in the field and what are these circumstances?

It certainly formed no part of the original plan of the Exploration Committee to supplement the Exploring Expedition from the North Coast indeed this could scarcely have been possible consistent with the instructions given to Mr Bourke and the perfect freedom of action designedly left to him on his arrival at Coopers Creek as to whether he would proceed direct to the Gulf of Carpentaria or adopt a route to the westward. In view however of the circumstances attending Mr Wrights failure to maintain any communication with the settlements although he must have arrived at Coopers Creek about the 15th of March and in view of the fact that both Mr Bourke and Mr Wright had positive instructions to maintain such communication and to replenish the stores at the Depot from time to time which stores the Sub Committee have reason to believe are nearly exhausted. In view of these circumstances the Sub Committee are of opinion that there is ground for anxiety on the part of the Exploration Committee as to the exact position of Mr Wrights party at Coopers Creek. Yet they think they are warranted in stating that nothing has as yet occurred to induce the belief that Mr Bourkes party have been overtaken by any disaster or that any necessity has arisen for sending immediate assistance to Mr Bourkes party on the North Coast. The Sub. Committee are therefore of opinion that the recommendation to send the Victoria Steam-ship to the Gulf of Carpentaria should be deferred until the Exploration Committee shall be in possession of the information that shall be obtained through Mr Howitts contingent party provided that such information shall be obtained in a reasonable time.

It is however here necessary to state that Dr Mueller one of the members of the Sub. Committee entertains a very strong opinion of the possibility that despatches expressing a desire of naval aid being rendered available to the Victorian Expedition when arrived at the North Coast may have been left at Cooper's Creek for the purpose of being forwarded to the Government and the Exploration Committee through the agency of Mr Wright.⁸