Edward Bate Scott, an active, intelligent and steady young friend, who
had already been a voyage with me to Western Australia, and had travelled
with me overland from King George's Sound to Swan River.

Meetings of the colonists interested in the undertaking were again held
on the 2nd and 5th of June, at which subscriptions were entered into for
carrying out the object of the expedition; and a brief outline of my
plans was given by the Chairman, Captain Sturt, in the following extract
from his address.


"The Chairman went on to state, that Mr. Eyre would first proceed to Lake
Torrens and examine it, and then penetrate as far inland in a northerly
direction as would be found practicable. With regard to an observation
which he (the Chairman) had made on Friday evening, regarding this
continent having been formerly an archipelago, he stated, that he was of
opinion that a considerable space of barren land in all probability
existed between this district and what had formerly been the next island.
This space was likely to be barren, though of course it would be
impossible to say how far it extended. He had every reason to believe,
from what he had seen of the Australian continent, that at some distance
to the northward, a large tract of barren country would be found, or
perhaps a body of water, beyond which, a good country would in all
probability exist. The contemplated expedition, he hoped would set
supposition at rest--and as the season was most favourable, and Mr. Eyre
had had much personal experience in exploring, he had no doubt but the
expedition would be successful. The eyes of all the Australasian
colonies--nay, he might say of Britain--are on the colonists of South
Australia in this matter; and he felt confident that the result would be
most beneficial, not only to this Province, but also to New South Wales