Landsborough now returned to the depot by way of the Gregory, and, on arriving there, learnt that Walker had been in and had reported having seen the tracks of Burke and Wills on the Flinders.  Landsborough thereupon resolved to return by way of the Flinders, instead of going back by boat.  They had very little provisions, but by reducing the number of the party, they managed to subsist on short allowance.  On this second trip, he followed the Flinders up, and was rewarded by being the first white man to see the beautiful prairie-like country through which it flows.  He named the remarkable isolated hills visible from the river Fort Bowen, Mount Brown and Mount Little.  From the upper Flinders he struck south, hoping to come across a newly-formed station, but was disappointed, though he saw numerous horse-tracks showing that settlement was near at hand.  At last after enduring a long period of semi-starvation, they reached the Warrego, and at the station of Neilson and Williams, first learnt the fate of those whom they had been seeking.

Landsborough was next appointed Resident at Burketown, and afterwards Inspector of Brands for the district of East Moreton.  He died in 1886.

15.3.  P.E.  WARBURTON.

[Illustration.  Major Warburton.]

Major Warburton was the fourth son of the Reverend Rowland Warburton of Arley Hall, Cheshire, where he was born on the 15th of August, 1813.  He was first educated in France.  He entered the Royal Navy in 1826, and in 1829 proceeded to Addiscombe College, preparatory to entering the East India Company’s service, in which he served from 1831 to 1853, when he retired with the rank of Major.  In 1853 he arrived at Albany.  From there he went on to Adelaide, and at the end of the same year was appointed Commissioner of Police, an office which he held until he was placed in charge of the Imperial Pension Department.  On his return from his exploring expedition he was voted 1,000 pounds for himself, and 500 pounds for his party.  He was created a C.M.G. in 1875, was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, and he died in 1889.

In 1873 two prominent South Australian colonists, whose names are intimately connected with the promotion of exploration in that colony, Thomas Elder and Walter Hughes, fitted out an expedition which it was hoped would lead to the rapid advancement of geographical knowledge.  Unfortunately the result was not commensurate with the ambitious nature of the undertaking.  The command was given to Major Warburton, who was instructed to start from the neighbourhood of Central Mount Stuart, and to steer a course direct to Perth.  In spite of being provided with a long string of camels, Warburton incurred so much delay in getting through the sandhills that his camels were knocked up and his provisions nearly all consumed before he had advanced half-way.  This compelled him to bear up north to the head waters of the Oakover River.  Besides the leader, the party consisted of his son Richard; Lewis, a surveyor; one more white man; two Afghans; and a native.  Lewis, the surveyor, showed himself to be a most capable man; in fact, but for his energy and forethought, the expedition would have been swallowed up in the sands of the north-west desert.