Had he put himself and the whole party in motion at once, the subsequent misfortunes would have been averted.  Lyons and McPherson lost their way, being quite unable to overtake Mr. Burke, who had eight days’ start, travelling at the rate of twenty miles a day.  Neither had they ingenuity enough to find Mr. Burke’s tracks, although accompanied by a native, which is inexplicable, if they trusted to Dick, who had both intelligence and energy of purpose.  He found his way back to Wright, however, and was thus the means of saving the lives of the trooper and McPherson.

Hodgkinson, we have seen, was despatched by Wright to Melbourne, from Menindie, on the 19th of December, with letters assuming to be written by himself, but, in fact, by Hodgkinson.  Whether the committee knew this does not appear:  if they did not, here was one reason for confirming Wright’s appointment.  Hodgkinson reached Melbourne on the morning of the 30th, riding nearly four hundred miles in eleven days.  A meeting of the committee was called on Monday, the 31st, at which his Excellency attended, and Hodgkinson started on his return the same evening.  This certainly was business.  Nearly double the sum that he had asked was allowed to Wright, in cash.  From the 5th of November, he lingered at Menindie, until the 19th of December, doing nothing.  He says he was waiting for an answer to a letter he had previously sent.  Dr. Macadam, the Secretary, denies that he ever received such a letter.  Wright is here unworthy of credit, for he could not write.  This was extracted from himself, after considerable fencing, in his examination before the Commission on the 12th of December, 1861:—­

Mr. Wm. Wright further examined.

Question 1565.  There is evidently some discrepancy between the statement that you wrote yourself on the 5th of November, when you came back, and the statement of Dr. Macadam that no such letter was ever received.  This letter of yours of the 19th of December, is it written by yourself?—­The one I sent myself?

1566.  The one of the 19th of December, is it in your own handwriting?—­The one that is missing?

1567.  No; this one [handing a paper to the witness]?—­No, it is not; Hodgkinson did all the writing.

1568.  Did he write the one that is stated to be missing?—­No, he did not.

1569.  You wrote that one?—­I wrote that with my own hand.  I just wrote a few words.

1570.  Could your memory serve you sufficiently to write the purport of that letter that is missing?—­It would not.

1571.  Nothing approaching to it?—­I never thought for a moment of keeping a copy of it, or of giving it to Hodgkinson to keep a copy.

1572.  Have you no recollection of the general purport of it?—­I just mentioned that Mr. Burke had appointed me to take the party out and take the command; that is about the heads of it.

1573.  Have you any objection to write a letter similar to that one, as nearly as you can remember it?—­No.  I write a very indifferent hand.