Expeditions into Central Australia | Page 2

desert region
led to, were of so distressing a character, that he would not willingly
have revived associations, so unsatisfactory and so painful.
It has been his fate, however, to cross, during the course of his
explorations, a far greater extent of country than any Australian
traveller had ever done previously, and as a very large portion of this
had never before been trodden by the foot of civilized man, and from
its nature is never likely to be so invaded again, it became a duty to
record the knowledge which was thus obtained, for the information of
future travellers and as a guide to the scientific world in their inquiries
into the character and formation of so singular and interesting a
country.
To enable the reader to judge of the author's capabilities for the task he
undertook, and of the degree of confidence that may be due to his
impressions or opinions, it may not be out of place to state, that the
Expeditions of 1840--1 were not entered upon without a sufficient
previous and practical experience in exploring.
For eight years the author had been resident in Australia, during which

he had visited many of the located parts of New South Wales, Port
Phillip, South Australia, Western Australia, and Van Diemen's Land. In
the years 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839, and 1840 he had conducted
expeditions across from Liverpool Plains in New South Wales to the
county of Murray, from Sydney to Port Phillip, from Port Phillip to
Adelaide, and from King George's Sound to Swan River, besides
undertaking several explorations towards the interior, both from Port
Lincoln and from Adelaide.
To the knowledge and experience which were thus acquired, the author
must ascribe the confidence and good opinion of his fellow-colonists,
which led them in 1840 to place under his command an undertaking of
such importance, interest, and responsibility; and to these advantages
he feels that he is in a great measure indebted, under God's blessing, for
having been enabled successfully to struggle through the difficulties
and dangers which beset him, in crossing from Adelaide to King
George's Sound.
With this explanation for obtruding upon the public, the author would
also solicit their indulgence, for the manner in which the task has been
performed. The only merit to which he can lay claim, is that of having
faithfully described what he saw, and the impressions which were
produced upon him at the time. In other respects it is feared that a work,
which was entirely (and consequently very hastily) prepared for the
press from the original notes, whilst voyaging from Australia to
England, must necessarily be crude and imperfect. Where the principal
object, however, was rather to record with accuracy than indulge in
theory or conjecture, and where a simple statement of occurrences has
been more attended to than the language in which they are narrated,
plainness and fidelity will, it is hoped, be considered as some
compensation for the absence of the embellishments of a more finished
style, or a studied composition, and especially as the uncertainty
attending the duration of the author's visit to England made it a matter
of anxious consideration to hurry these volumes through the press as
rapidly as possible. There is one circumstance to which he wishes
particularly to allude, as accounting for the very scanty notices he is
now able to give of the geology or botany of the country through which

he travelled; it is the loss of all the specimens that were collected
during the earlier part of the Expedition, which occurred after they had
been sent to Adelaide; this loss has been irreparable, and has not only
prevented him from ascertaining points about which he was dubious,
but has entirely precluded him from having the subjects considered, or
the specimens classified and arranged by gentlemen of scientific
acquirements in those departments of knowledge, in which the author is
conscious he is himself defective. In the latter part of the Expedition, or
from Fowler's Bay to King George's Sound, the dreadful nature of the
country, and the difficulties and disasters to which this led, made it
quite impossible either to make collections of any kind, or to examine
the country beyond the immediate line of route; still it is hoped that the
passing notices which are made in the journal, and the knowledge of
the similarity of appearance and uniform character, prevalent
throughout the greater portion of the country passed through, will be
quite sufficient to give a general and correct impression of the whole.
To Mr. Gray of the British Museum, the author is particularly indebted
for his valuable contribution on the Natural History of the Southern
coast of Australia, and to Mr. Gould, the celebrated Ornithologist, his
thanks are equally due, for a classified and most interesting list of