ARD JOHN EYRE.

11.1. SETTLEMENT OF ADELAIDE AND THE OVERLANDERS.

The exploration of the centre of the continent was long retarded by the
difficult nature of the country -- by its aridity, its few
continuously-watered rivers, and the supposed horse-shoe shape of Lake
Torrens, which thrust its vast shallow morass across the path of the
daring explorers making north.

For most of us of the present day, to whom Lake Torrens is but a
geographical feature, it is hard to imagine the sense of awe it inspired
in the breasts of the South Australian settlers, who appeared to be cut
off completely from the north by its gloomy and forbidding environs of
salt and barrenness.

In 1836, Colonel Light surveyed the shores of St. Vincent's Gulf, and
selected the site of the city of Adelaide. Governor Hindmarsh and a
company of emigrants arrived soon afterwards, and the Province of South
Australia was proclaimed.

The very promising discoveries made to the south of the Murray by Major
Mitchell soon induced an invasion of adventurous pastoralists bringing
their stock from the settled parts of New South Wales.

Charles Bonney led the way across to the Port Phillip settlement in 1837
with sheep. G.H. Ebden accompanied him, and they were shortly followed by
many more: Hamilton, Gardiner, Langbourne, and others, whose names are
well-known in Australian history as the first Overlanders. Very shortly
this overlanding of stock was extended to the newly-founded city of
Adelaide, Charles Bonney and Joseph Hawdon being the first drovers on
this long journey. Their Adelaide journey was in fact an exploration
trip, and an important one, as they followed the bank of the Murray below
its junction with the Darling; this part of the river having been
followed down before only by Sturt, and then only by water.

It was in January, 1838, that Hawdon and Bonney left Mitchell's crossing
at the Goulburn River with cattle as pioneers on the overland route to
Adelaide. Unknown to them they were closely followed by E.J. Eyre, with
another mob of cattle. Eyre, as we shall afterwards see, was thrown out
of the race through trying to make a short cut to avoid the sweeping bend
of the river. Bonney and Hawdon crossed the Murray above the junction of
the Darling, and in places found the bed of the latter river dry. The
natives, strange to say, were quite friendly; perhaps they had taken to
heart the lesson Mitchell had read them. But their amiable demeanour d