ng into, had, in a
great measure, damped his ardour for exploring; so that when told that
the expedition, as far as he was concerned, had terminated, and that he
would have to go back to Adelaide with Mr. Scott, he did not express any
regret. I had ever found him a useful and obedient man, and with the
exception of his losing courage under the heat, upon the occasion alluded
to, he had been a hardy and industrious man, and capable of enduring much
fatigue.

The native boys I intended to accompany me in my journey, as they would
be better able to put up with the fatigues and privations we should have
to go through, than Europeans; whilst their quickness of sight, habit of
observation, and skill in tracking, might occasionally be of essential
service to me. The native who had lately joined me from Adelaide, and
whose country was around King George's Sound, would, I hoped, be able to
interpret to any tribes we might meet with, as it appeared to me that
some of the words we had heard in use among the natives of this part of
the coast were very similar to some I had heard among the natives of King
George's Sound. Three natives, however, were more than I required, and I
would gladly have sent the youngest of them back to Adelaide, but he had
been with me several years, and I did not like to send him away whilst he
was willing to remain; besides, he was so young and so light in weight,
that if we were able to get on at all, his presence could cause but
little extra difficulty. I therefore decided upon taking him also.

There remained now only the overseer; a man who had been in my service
for many years, and whose energy, activity, and many useful qualities,
had made him an invaluable servant to me at all times; whilst his
courage, prudence, good conduct, and fidelity, made me very desirous to
have him with me in this last effort to cross to the westward. Having
sent for him, I explained to him most fully the circumstances in which I
was placed, the utter impossibility of taking on the whole party through
so inhospitable a region as that before us, my own firm determination
never to return unsuccessful, but either to accomplish the object I had
in view, or perish in the attempt. I pointed out to him that there were
still eight hundred and fifty miles of an unknown country yet to be
traversed and explored; that, in all probability, this would consist
principally, if not wholly, of an all but impracticable desert. I
reminded hi