THE FATE OF LEICHHARDT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 8 July 1857, Page 3

THE FATE OF LEICHHARDT.

(From the Moreton Bay Courier.) A correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald under the Signature of "Z," has been exciting the wonderment of those who have a predilection for marvellous tales, by a strange story of the alledged captivity of Dr. Leichhardt and his companions. The statement is that some young man, nowundergoing punishment for an offence against the laws, has made a confession to his clergyman, in which he declares that he fora considerable time formed one of a society existing in the far interior, and composed of runaway white men, aboriginal women, and their children; that these people grew their own wheat and ground it in steel mills: that they were in possesion of large flocks and herds; had located themselves on the banks of a large river; and procured such necessaries as they did not possess by conveying them from a distance on packhorses. These people, he says, fell in with Dr. Leichhardt, and made him and his companions prisoners, in which position they remained two years ago. No doubt the narrator of this romantic tale would be glad to exchange his present position for a guide to a searching party, trusting to ingenuity and chance for an opportunity of enlarging his freedom. We do not forget what colonial history tells us - that a poor convict was once flogged for declaring that he had found native gold.which in all probability was. the truth; but this story concerning Leichhardt exceeds the bounds of all reasonable probability. These : villagers of the wilderness

are said to be in possession of books, and to have Leicbhavdt as a schoolmaster to their children. .The fidea that any. number of lawless men, seeking only escape from the consequences of crime, would remain in a 'position of this kind while they knew, as their "pack-horse" men would tell them, that every facility now existed for their undetected return to civilised life; for their participation in the chances of the gold-fields, or for their departure from the colony, is simply preposterous. Equally improbable •■is-.if that the native blacks would fraternise with them in such a way of life; and tolerably certain is it that a secret, of this nature would have been long since tracked out by outriding stockmen or garrulous natives. The tale, however, such as it is, has been submitted to the consideration of the Government, with further particulars not yet made public ; and there the matter rests.

Our chief reason for adverting in this place to the report in question arises from the hope that it may give a fresh stimulus to the search for the unfortunate Australian explorer. We have repeatedly expressed our conviction that, whatever may have been the fate of Leichhardt, all the inquiries hitherto instituted into that mystery have ended most unsatisfactorily. An expedition into the interior of this continent is undoubtedly not so agreeable a recreation as an afternoon

walk in the Government Gardens; but when we think of what Dr. Rae has done, and what Livingstone has but recently accomplished, the difficulties attending a further •search for Leichhardt appear far from formidable to Anglo-Saxon energy. Mr. Hely's investigations may have satisfied his own mind, but they have not satisfied the ptiblic.and that was the object of his journey. Neither have we derived, as might "have been expected, any information on this point, from the more recent enterprise of Mr. Gregory. That expedition has added little to our previous knowledge, and appears to have left even the question of the existence of gold-fields in the neighborhood of the .Lynd and the-Burdekin, as it was before.

Some time ago a suggestion was thrown •out for'the employment of a party of Native policemen in any future search for Dr. ;Leichhardt; and we are inclined to think that they would be found most useful auxiliaries. In discovering watering places for encampment, tracking strayed horses or bullocks, guarding against surprise by hostile natives, and almost instinctively detecting the traces of any previous traveller, these men would be. invaluable. With a hardy, intrepid, and, " above all, zealous leader, and a well selected and well equipped party of sturdy bushmeu, a company might be formed fromI.whom something satisfactory could be confidently expected. As the case •stands at present, a deep reproach rests upon the colonists ; a reproach applying not only •to their liberality, but also to their courage. Leichhardt whs ■willing1 to risk his life in the cause of science for Australia, but Australia dofis anot produce a man who will risk anything to follow on his track. That is the practical fact of the case, although there be many men who would go if able. It may well be, indeed, that poor Leichhardt is past all earthly care. Yet his existence is quite within the range of probability. The only warrant for believing him dead is the blackfellows' tale of Brundarabella Creek. If the alleged slaughter were really prepetrated there, some trace or relic of the murdered men might yet be found. The present state of uncertainty is, we repeat, discreditable to the colony. While it exists, such tales as that made public by."Z" will ever and anon be told, and at intervals there will continue renewals of that public anxiety which any more vigorous government than our own would have long since set at rest.