Explorations around Moreton Bay--Development of the Eastern Coast--The first pioneers of the Darling Downs--Stuart and Sydenham Russell--The Condamine River and Cecil Plains--Great interest taken in exploration at this period--Renewed explorations around Lake Torrens--Surveyor-General Frome--Death of Horrocks, the first explorer to introduce camels--Sturt's last expedition--Route by the Darling chosen--Poole fancies that he sees the inland sea--Discovery of Flood's Creek--The prison depôt--Impossible to advance or retreat--Breaking up of the drought--Death of Poole--Fresh attempts to the north--The desert--Eyre's Creek discovered--Return and fresh attempt--Discoveries of Cooper and Strzelecki Creeks--Retreat to the Depôt Glen--Final return to the Darling--Ludwig Leichhardt the lost explorer--His great trip north--Finding of the Burdekin, the Mackenzie, Isaacs and Suttor--Murder of the naturalist Gibert--Discovery of the Gulf Rivers--Arrival at Port Essington--His return and reception-- Surveyor-General Mitchell's last expedition--Follows up the Balonne-- Crosses to the head of the Belyando--Disappointed in that river--Returns and crosses to the head of the Victoria (Barcoo)--The beautiful Downs country--First mention of the Mitchell grass--False hopes entertained of the Victoria running into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Chapter VII [to 1854] Kennedy traces the Victoria in its final course south--Re-named the Barcoo--First notice of the PITURI chewing natives--Leichhardt's second Expedition--Failure and Return--Leichhardt's last Expedition--His absolute disappearance--Conjectures as to his fate--Kennedy starts from Rockingham Bay to Cape York--Scrubs and swamps--Great exertions--Hostile natives--Insufficiency of supplies provided--Dying horses--Main party left in Weymouth Bay--Another separation at Shelburne Bay--Murder of Kennedy at the Escape River--Rescue of Jacky the black boy--His pathetic tale of suffering--Failure to find the camp at Shelburne Bay--Rescue of but two survivors at Weymouth Bay--The remainder starved to death--Von Mueller in the Australian Alps--Western Australia--Landor and Lefroy, in 1843--First expedition of the brothers Gregory, in 1846--Salt lakes and scrub--Lieutenant Helpman sent to examine the coal seam discovered--Roe, in 1848--His journey to the east and to the south--A. C. Gregory attempts to reach the Gascoyne--Foiled by the nature of the country--Discovers silver ore on the Murchison--Governor Fitzgerald visits the mine--Wounded by the natives--Rumour of Leichhardt having been murdered by the blacks--Hely's expedition in quest of him--Story unfounded--Austin's explorations in Western Australia--Terrible scrubs--Poison camp-- Determined efforts to the north--Heat and thirst--Forced to return. Chapter VIII [to 1861]