eful nor valuable discoveries had been made;
hemmed in by an impracticable desert, or the bed of an impassable lake, I
had been baffled and defeated in every direction, and to have returned
now, would have been, to have rendered of no avail the great expenses
that had been incurred in the outfit of the expedition, to have thrown
away the only opportunity presented to me of making some amends for past
failure, and of endeavouring to justify the confidence that had been
reposed in me, by carrying through the exploration which had been
originally contemplated to the westward, now it was no longer possible to
accomplish that to the north, for which it had given place; I considered
myself in duty and in honour bound, not to turn back from this attempt,
as long as there was the remotest possibility of success, without any
regard to considerations of a personal or private nature. Under these
feelings, therefore, I resolved to remain only another day in depot, to
reply to the letters I had received, and return my best thanks to the
many friends who had expressed such kind interest on my behalf.

February 25.--Having finished my letters, and buried all the spare
stores, I sent the native boys away early with the sheep, that they might
travel more slowly than we should do with the horses. About two we loaded
the pack animals, and wishing Mr. Scott a final adieu, set off upon our
route. The party consisted of myself, the overseer, three native boys,
nine horses, one Timor pony, one foal, born at Streaky Bay, and six
sheep; our flour which was buried at the sand-hills to the north-west,
was calculated for nine weeks, at an allowance of six pounds of flour
each weekly, with a proportionate quantity of tea and sugar. The long
rest our horses had enjoyed, and the large supply of oats and bran we had
received for them, had brought them round wonderfully, they were now in
good condition, and strong, and could not have commenced the journey
under more favourable circumstances, had it been the winter instead of
the summer season.

Two of the native boys having gone on early in the morning with the
sheep, there remained only myself, the overseer, and one native, to
manage ten horses, and we were consequently obliged to drive some of the
pack-horses loose; at first they went well and quietly, but something
having unluckily startled one of them, he frightened the others, and four
out of the number set off at full gallop, and never stopped fo