on his return to us. He was, in fact, detained a day in
consequence of the swollen state of that little river, but swam his horse
over on the following day, at considerable risk both to himself and his
animal. He did not, in consequence, reach us until Saturday. In
anticipation, however, of his return on that day, we had sent Kenny, the
policeman stationed at Moorundi who was to accompany Mr. Eyre, up the
river in advance of us at noon, with Tampawang, the black boy I intended
taking with me, and had everything in readiness to follow them, as soon
as Flood should arrive. He did not, however, reach Moorundi until 5 p.m.
It took me some little time to reply to the communications he had
brought, but at seven we mounted our horses, and leaving Flood to rest
himself, and to exchange his wearied animal for the one we had recovered,
with Tenbury in front, left the settlement. The night was cold and
frosty, but the moon shone clear in a cloudless sky, so that we were
enabled to ride along the cliffs, from which we descended to one of the
river flats at 1 a.m. and, making a roaring fire, composed ourselves to
rest.

It may here be necessary, before I enter on any detail of the proceedings
of the expedition, to explain the general nature of my instructions, the
object of the expedition, and the reasons why, in some measure, contrary
to the opinion of the Secretary of State, I preferred trying the interior
by the line of the Darling, rather than by a direct northerly route from
Mount Arden.

As the reader will have understood, I wrote, in the year 1843, to Lord
Stanley, the then colonial minister, volunteering my services to conduct
an expedition into Central Australia. It appeared to his Lordship as well
as to Sir John Barrow, to whom Lord Stanley referred my report, that the
plan I had proposed was too extensive, and it was therefore determined to
adopt a more modified one, and to limit the resources of the expedition
and the objects it was to keep in view, to a certain time, and to the
investigation of certain facts. After expressing his opinion as to the
magnitude of the undertaking I had contemplated, "There is, however,"
says Sir J. Barrow, in a minute to the Secretary of State, "a portion of
the continent of Australia, to which he (Captain Sturt) adverts, that may
be accomplished, and in a reasonable time and at a moderate expense.

"He says, if a line be drawn from lat. 29 degrees 30 minutes and long.
146 degrees, N.W.,