Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/194

 try, there is but little doubt that such an expedition would lay open the continent across the tropical interior, and a short, practicable way to the north-eastern region. Then would squatters be found—those brave pioneers of the wilderness, the harbingers of civilization—to avail themselves of the rich and fertile lands around the Gulf of Carpentaria, from whose ports they might commence a trade to India and Europe, curtailing distance materially, and escaping the dangerous reefs and the Torres Straits, opening thus a profitable trade, and establishing a cordon bringing into closer proximity the now so far distant nations of the south, and connecting British power in one grand chain around the globe.

As we stated in a former part of this work, we have detained its publication in order to lay before our readers the latest accounts from Victoria. Such we have now compiled from the journals up to the 4th of July, 1856. We find that a Gold Search Committee has been established, spoken of by the "Register:"—

"A full meeting of the members of the Gold Search Committee was held on Saturday last, in the Arbitration-rooms of the Exchange, King William-street, to confer with the Commissioners appointed by the Government and the Committee as to the necessary steps to be taken to carry out the objects of the Committee. Mr. J. B. Neales, M. L. C, occupied the Chair. Several persons having pointed out the