roved to be an enormous swamp, without surface
water, and the mud coated with a thin layer of salt. The party struggled
to effect a passage, and penetrated into the slime for six miles, until
they were in imminent danger of sinking. The lake, or rather salt swamp,
presented a barrier which Eyre considered it impossible to overcome. The
party turned in a westerly direction, and reached the sea at Port
Lincoln. Here a little open boat was obtained, and Mr. Scott, Eyre's
courageous companion, undertook to attempt to reach Adelaide and obtain
further supplies. This he successfully accomplished, returning in the
Water Witch with stores and provisions, two more men, and some kangaroo
dogs. Thus reinforced, the party reached Fowler's Bay in the great Bight
of South Australia. The map shows that a journey of more than 200 miles
must have been made before the point was reached. Thence they attempted
to make their way round the head of the Bight, but were twice baffled by
want of water. Nothing daunted, Eyre made a third attempt, and succeeded
in penetrating fifty miles beyond the head of the Bight. But the result
was achieved only at a cost which the little party could ill sustain.
Four of the best horses perished, which deprived Eyre of the means of
carrying provisions, and he had to decide between abandoning the
expedition altogether or still further reducing the number of his
companions. Mr. Scott and three men returned to Adelaide, leaving behind
a man named Baxter, who had long been in Eyre's employ as an overseer or
factotum; the two natives who had first started with him, and a boy,
Wylie, who had before been in Eyre's service, and who had been brought
back in the cutter.

Six months after Eyre had started from Adelaide, he was left with only
four companions to continue the journey. He had acquired considerable
experience of the privations to be encountered, but refused to comply
with the wishes of Colonel Gawler, the Governor, to abandon the
expedition as hopeless, and return to Adelaide. Indeed, with
characteristic inflexibility--almost approaching to obstinacy--he
resolved to attempt the western route along the shore of the Great
Bight--a journey which, only a few months before, he had himself
described as impracticable.

The cutter which had been stationed at Fowler Bay, to afford assistance
if required, departed on the 31st of January, 1841, and Eyre and his
small party were left to their fate. He had been defeated