t
of the colony of South Australia, which as before stated was in December
1836; and many an enterprising mind instantly turned thitherward with
earnest longings which soon ripened into action. In November 1837, that
is, in eleven months from the foundation of the new colony, several hardy
adventurers had laid, matured, and commenced carrying into operation
plans which some deemed insane when they heard of the amount of capital
invested in so new an undertaking, but which were undertaken by the
adventurers in full confidence in their own powers.

THEIR FIRST EXPEDITIONS TO ADELAIDE, AND TO THE WESTWARD OF PORT LINCOLN.

Two expeditions started almost at the same time for this new market. In
February 1838 Mr. Hawdon moved from the Goulburn and Mr. Eyre from Port
Phillip. In April 1838 Mr. Hawdon arrived in Adelaide and shortly
afterwards was followed by Mr. Eyre, who had attempted to take a direct
route from Port Phillip to Adelaide, but coming upon an impassable
country he had been compelled to turn to the northward, and then to make
it by the same route which Mr. Hawdon had pursued. Just eight years
before this period a hardy party of explorers under Captain Sturt had
first ventured in a whale-boat to descend a river traversing this unknown
land. Rapidly had the fruits of this enterprise ripened to maturity; the
river was now made a highway of commerce, a connecting link between two
countries.

In the remaining portion of 1838 and in 1839 the energies of the
Overlanders were fully employed in supplying South Australia with stock;
and during this period several new and shorter lines of route were struck
out, the last great improvement of this kind being made by the
adventurous C. Bonney, Esquire, who connected Port Phillip with Adelaide
by a direct road running nearly parallel to the coast, so that the
portion of the continent of Australia which lies between Moreton Bay and
Adelaide is now connected by a passable route.

During 1839 it was felt however that the markets of South Australia no
longer afforded such large profits; but Port Lincoln was then occupied
and a new country opened, to which cattle and sheep were conveyed across
Spencer's Gulf. This for a time afforded some employment to the
Overlanders; but their spirits were secretly chafed by the thought that
the limits of their career were attained. Several expeditions to the
westward of Port Lincoln were undertaken, and in August 1839 Mr. Eyre,
still anxious