From my many friends I received donations of books and instruments, and I was myself enabled to supply from my own resources a portion of the harness, saddlery, tools, and tarpaulins, together with a light cart and a tent.
June 18 .-- Calling my party up early, I ordered the horses to be harnessed, and yoked to the drays, at half past nine the whole party, (except the overseer who was at a station up the country) proceeded to Government House, where the drays were halted for the men to partake of a breakfast kindly provided for them by His Excellency and Mrs.Gawler, whilst myself and Mr.Scott joined the very large party invited to meet us in the drawing room.
The following account of the proceedings of the morning, taken from the South Australian Register, of the 20th June, may perhaps be read with interest; at least it will shew the disinterested spirit and enterprising character of the colonists of South Australia, even at this early stage of its history, and especially how much the members of our little party were indebted to the kindness and good feeling of the Governor and colonists, who were anxious to cheer and stimulate us under the difficulties and trails we had to encounter, by their earnest wishes and prayers for our safety and success.
EXPLORATORY EXPEDITION TO THE CENTRE OF NEW HOLLAND The arrangements for the expedition into the interior, undertaken by Mr.
Eyre, having been completed, His Excellency the Governor and Mrs.Gawler issued cards to a number of the principal colonists and personal friends of Mr.Eyre, to meet him at Government House on the morning of his departure.

On Thursday last accordingly (the anniversary of Waterloo, in which His Excellency and the gallant 52nd bore so conspicuous a part) a very large party of ladies and gentlemen assembled.

After an elegant DEJEUNER A LA FOURCHETTE, His Excellency the Governor rose and spoke as nearly as we could collect, as follows:-- "We are assembled to promote one of the most important undertakings that remain to be accomplished on the face of the globe--the discovery of the interior of Australia.

As Captain Sturt in substance remarked in a recent lecture, of the five great divisions of the earth, Europe is well known; Asia and America have been generally searched out; the portion that remains to be known of Africa is generally unfavourable for Europeans, and probably unfit for colonization; but Australia, our great island continent, with a most favourable climate, still remains unpenetrated, mysterious, and unknown.

Without doing injustice to the enterprising attempts of Oxley, Sturt, and Mitchell, I must remark that they were commenced from a very unfavourable point--from the eastern and almost south-eastern extremity of the island--and consequently the great interior still remains untouched by them, the south-eastern corner alone having been investigated.