open, and exert his influence with the besieged bushrangers to induce them to surrender, and thereby avert further bloodshed. He was confident that even such desperadoes would not fire on a priest; but the officers in command thought differently, and declined to allow him to place his life in jeopardy. When, however, late in the afternoon, the hotel was seen to be in flames, the brave priest refused to be kept back any longer, and rushed to the burning building, in the hope of being able to administer the last sacraments of the Church to any of the surviving bushrangers within. He was watched with eager and breathless attention as he crossed the open space in front of the outlaws' citadel, the general fear being that he would be shot down before he reached the house. A cheer went up from the excited spectators, as they saw him rush through the flames into the interior of the hotel, and a number of them were emboldened to follow in his footsteps. When Father Gibney got within the blazing building, he saw the bodies of the bushrangers lying on the floor, having apparently preferred to shoot themselves or each other rather than fall into the hands of the authorities. He had just time to touch their bodies, and ascertain that they were lifeless, before the advancing flames compelled him to beat a hasty retreat in order to save his own life. The courage and intrepidity displayed by Father Gibney on this occasion won universal admiration, and the news of his elevation to the mitre was received with cordial approval by the press and the public of all the colonies."
Gifford, Right Hon. Edric Frederick, 3rd Baron, V.C., sometime Colonial Secretary, Western Australia, is the eldest son of Robert Francis, 2nd Baron, by Charlotte, eldest daughter of Maurice, Lord Fitzhardinge. He was born on July 5th, 1849, educated at Harrow, and entered the 83rd Foot in 1869. He exchanged to 24th Foot in 1873; served in the Ashantee war with that regiment as lieutenant, and received the Victoria Cross on March 28th, 1874, for distinguished gallantry at the taking of Bequeh. His lordship exchanged into the 57th Foot in 1876, and retired with the rank of major on July 24th, 1880. He served on the staff of Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1875, when on a special mission to Natal, and in Cyprus in 1878-9; served in Zulu war in 1879 as A.D.C. to Sir G. Wolseley; took a leading part in the capture of Cetewayo; he was colonial secretary and senior member of the Executive Council of Western Australia from 1880 to 1882; colonial secretary at Gibraltar from Dec. 1882 to 1887, and became a director of the chartered British South Africa Company in 1889. He succeeded his father on May 13th, 1872, and married on April 22nd, 1880, Sophia Catherine, daughter of Lieut.-General John Alfred Street, C.B.
Giles, Ernest, F.R.G.S., the well-known explorer, son of William Giles and Jane Elizabeth his wife, was born at Bristol, educated at Christ's Hospital, London, and after leaving school joined his father and family in South Australia, to which colony they had preceded him. In 1852 he went to the Victorian goldfields, and subsequently became a clerk in the Post-office, Melbourne, and afterwards in the county court. Resigning his clerkship, he joined an exploring party in Queensland, and after several expeditions made his first memorable journey on his own account in the year 1872. In August of that year, with the assistance of his steadfast friend Baron von Mueller and his own slender resources, he managed to equip a light party, and penetrated into some fine country about 250 miles west of the great overland telegraph line between Adelaide and Port Darwin. The qualities shown on this expedition brought him friends. On a second appeal by Baron von Mueller a fund was raised by the liberality of some wealthy Victorians and some assistance from the South Australian Government, and Mr. Giles again set out with a party of four white men and twenty-four horses. He remained in the field constantly endeavouring to reach the western coast for one year, when, his provisions having given out and the party reduced to living on their horses, he made his way back to the settled districts of South Australia through great hardships, having added some 700 miles to previous knowledge of the interior. In 1875 he was fitted out by that munificent patron of exploration Sir Thomas Elder, of Adelaide, with nineteen camels and provisions for eighteen months. Through desert after desert for a distance of nearly 1500 miles he made
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