THE SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF LEICHARDT'S REMAINS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 55, 10 February 1872, Page 2

THE SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OF LEICHARDT'S REMAINS.

[From the Aegtjs, January 16.]

We have obtained from Inspector J. M. Gilmour, of the Queensland Native Mounted Police, who is now in Melbourne, some information respecting his second expedition to the interior, which points to the discovery of some further relics of the unfortunate explorer Leichardt and his party. Mr Gilmour having completed his search, journeyed from Bulloo Barracks by horseback and coach to Brisbane, a. distance of about 850 miles, and he has since come via Sydney to Melbourne. In his first search, which like the present was undertaken by direction of the Queensland Government, who had received a story from the blacks as to the existence amongst the native tribes of a white man, Mr Gilmour penetrated as far as Wantata, a place westward of the Barcoo, in about lat 24 ° and lon 140 ° . There he found, near some sand hills, the remains of apparently four Europeans. The natives told him that at this place four white men had been killed, and that " further on" three others had been killed long ago. Mr Gilmour,who was unable to procure his search beyond Wantata, on account of floods, returned to Brisbane with his relics; but the assertion that they were the remains of Leichardt's party was questioned, and the Queensland Government resolved to send Mr. Gilmour out again. He returned after his first expedition in March, 1871, and commenced his second search on the 18th September of the same year, starting from the police station at Bulloo Barracks, situated 800 miles due west of Brisbane. Taking a different route to that adopted on the first occasion, he arrived again at Wantata, where ho found a number of additional fragments of bones, dried by the sun and brittle with age, but evidently human bones, and to all appearance the skull bones of European bodies. Leaving Wantata about 100 miles to the west, and arriving at a spot about 80 miles northwards of Eyre's Creek, which lies about S.W. of Wantata, he came upon a large native camp, where he had the good fortune to discover a number of European relics. There were found here a variety of fragments of European clothing, such as the explorers would have worn, including six or eight pieces of trousers, a piece of an old waterproof legging, and a portion of an old sock. There were also found a piece of an old canvass tent, several pieces of white blanket, one piece of blue blanket, a flint knife bound with European cord and cloth, an old tomahawk heai fitted into a native handle, and a lot of saddle stuffing of curled hair, sufficient to make an ordinary saddle. The traces of white men were further shown by the finding of two sheep or cattle dogs, while the discovery of a number of ornaments manufactured out of goats' hair suggests the idea that the natives had utilised some of the numerous flock of goats which Leichardt took with him. Another article found was a portion of a net made in European fashion, and an additional and still stronger proof

| that some white men—whether LeichI ardt's party or not —had met their i death in the neighborhood was afforded by the discovery in the native camp of a small bag woven out of a sort of hempen material combined with human hair. Some of the hair was black, but was much too line to be the hair of any aboriginal, aud amongst others was some brown or auburn hair, evidently European. The place where all these relics were found is about 200 miles west of the junction of the Thomson and the Barcoo, in latitude 20 degrees, longitude 188. This is near the furthest point reached by Sturt in 1845, and it may be suggested, of course, that the articles of clothing, &c, were left behind by this explorer. Sturt, however, had no goats with him, and none of his party perished on the way, so that the human remains cannot be those of any of bis party. As far as any one can tell, no white man can have visited the spot since 1845 save Leichardt (who set out from Mount Abundance on the 4th April, 1848), and it seems almost certain, therefore, that the relics brought down by Mr Gilmour are those of Leichardt and his party. Mr Rudal), to whose examination the bones have been submitted, declares them to be portions of the skeletons of European men, and Baron Von Mueller, in whose custody the precious relics now remain, is satisfied that the remains are those of his lost countryman or some of his party. The bones consist entirely of small fragments, and there has not yet been time to thoroughly examine and classify them, but an attempt will be made to do so before they are taken to Brisbane, their ultimate destination.