res in her to Cape Arid, whilst we proceeded overland ourselves
with pack-horses, was completely overturned, and it became now a matter
of very serious consideration to decide what I should do under the
circumstances. It was impossible for me to take my whole party and the
drays overland through the dreadful country verging upon the Great Bight;
whilst if I took the party, and left the drays, it was equally hopeless
that I could carry upon pack-horses a sufficiency of provisions to last
us to King George's Sound. There remained, then, but two alternatives,
either to break through the instructions I had received with regard to
the HERO, or to reduce my party still further, and attempt to force a
passage almost alone. The first I did not, for many reasons, think myself
justified in doing--the second, therefore, became my DERNIER RESORT, and
I reluctantly decided upon adopting it.

It now became my duty to determine without delay who were to be my
companions in the perilous attempt before me. The first and most painful
necessity impressed upon me by the step I contemplated, was that of
parting with my young friend, Mr. Scott, who had been with me from the
commencement of the undertaking, and who had always been zealous and
active in promoting its interests as far as lay in his power. I knew
that, on an occasion like this, the spirit and enterprise of his
character would prompt in him a wish to remain and share the difficulties
and dangers to which I might be exposed: but I felt that I ought not to
allow him to do so; I had no right to lead a young enthusiastic friend
into a peril from which escape seemed to be all but hopeless; and painful
as it would be to us both to separate under such circumstances, there was
now no other alternative; the path of duty was plain and imperative, and
I was bound to follow it.

On the 28th, I took the opportunity, whilst walking down to the beach
with Mr. Scott, of explaining the circumstances in which I was placed,
and the decision to which I had been forced. He was much affected at the
intelligence, and would fain have remained to share with me the result of
the expedition, whatever that might be; but I dared not consent to it.

The only man left, belonging to the party, was the one who had
accompanied me towards the head of the Great Bight, and suffered so much
from the heat on the 6th January. His experience on that occasion of the
nature of the country, and the climate we were advanci