I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) W.H. NORMAN,

Commander, and Commander-in-Chief of Northern Exploring Expedition to Gulf of Carpentaria.

W. Landsborough Esquire, Leader of Brisbane party, etc.


(COPY.)

H.M.C.S. Victoria, off Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria, February 6 1862.

Sir,

In reply to your letter of the 20th December 1861, in which you tell me you do not deem it necessary for me to go on the second expedition I proposed, namely, to the south-east, as Mr. Walker will no doubt do all that is possible and not give up following the missing party, I beg to disagree with you. I think, now that the tracks have been found, that it is an additional reason for my going on the expedition, and that I will have a much better chance of being successful in the main object of the expedition than I had on my last one.