proximity to the harbour of the north-west coast."

I should have been well satisfied to undertake an expedition in the
proposed direction, starting from the head of the Murchison, and trying
to connect my route with that of Mr. A. Gregory's down Sturt Creek; but
the difficulty of obtaining funds and lack of support caused the project
to be set aside or at least delayed. Mr. Weld, then Governor of Western
Australia, who always heartily supported explorations, was in favour of
an attempt to reach Adelaide by way of the south coast, and offered me
the command of an expedition in that direction.

I readily accepted the offer, and at once busied myself with the
necessary preparations, but was far from being insensible to the
difficulties of the undertaking. Of the route nothing was known except
the disastrous experience of Mr. Eyre in 1840 and 1841. His remarkable
narrative--interesting to all concerned in the history of explorations or
in the records of energy, courage, and perseverance under the most
discouraging circumstances--might have acted as a warning to future
explorers against endeavouring to follow in his track. The fearful
privations he endured, his narrow escape from the most terrible of all
forms of death, were certainly not encouraging; but his experience might
often be of service to others, pointing out dangers to be avoided, and
suggesting methods of overcoming difficulties. At any rate, I was not
deterred from the attempt to trace once more the coast of the Great
Bight, and to reach the sister colony by that route. Eyre had not
discovered any rivers, although it was possible that he might have
crossed the sand-bars of rivers in the night. The difficulties he
laboured under in his almost solitary journey, and the sufferings he
endured, might have rendered him unable to make observations and
discoveries more practicable to a better equipped and stronger party,