I hope you will take the will for the deed, and in the absence of better speaking on my part, consider that we are deeply thankful." (Loud cheers.) Sir H.Ayers, K.C.M.G., had much pleasure in proposing a toast that had been allotted to him, and made no doubt that the company would have equal pleasure in responding to it.

The toast was Early Explorers, and he had been requested to associate with it the name of Mr.John Chambers.
(Cheers.) It seemed to be the lot of poor human nature that whenever we met for rejoicing there was always sure to be some little mournful circumstance attending it, and we could scarcely think of the early explorers without remembering with regret the noble leaders and brave members of former expeditions who have now passed to their eternal rest.
There was the name of Sturt that came first in the list of our old explorers.

There was the name and the likeness of a man far more familiar to many of them.

There was Kekwick, and more recently poor McKinlay--all gone to their last account.

But still he was proud to see, and he was sure it formed a source of gratification to that company, and especially so to our guest, so many brave men at the table who had been companions of those leaders and others in the early expeditions of this country.
(Cheers.) He said it with pride, that in no other Australian colony could be seen such a group as sat at that table who had gone through the hardships and dangers of exploration; for with one or two exceptions all of them in the row were explorers.