MOTIVES FOR PERSEVERANCE. 2? 
It was in reflections and speculations such as 
these, that many hours of the night of my first en- 
campment with the party passed away. The kind- 
ness of the Governor and our many friends had been 
so unbounded; their anxiety for our safety and 
comfort so great ; their good wishes for our success 
so earnest, and their confidence in our exertions, so 
implicit, that I could not but look forward with ap- 
prehension, lest the success of our efforts might not 
equal what our gratitude desired, and even now l 
began to be fearful that the high expectations raised 
by the circumstances of our departure might not 
be wholly realised. 
We had fairly commenced our arduous undertak- 
ing, and though the party might appear small for the 
extent of the exploration contemplated, yet no expedi- 
tion could have started under more favourable or more 
cheering auspices ; provided with every requisite which 
experience pointed out as desirable, and with every 
comfort which excess of kindness could suggest, we 
left too, with a full sense of the difficulties before us, 
but with a firm determination to overcome them, if 
possible. And I express but the sentiments of the 
whole party when I say, that we felt the events of 
the day of our departure, and the recollection of 
the anxiety and interest with which our friends were 
anticipating our progress, and hoping for our suc- 
cess, would be cherished as our watchword in the 
hour of danger, and bethe incentive to persever- 
ance and labour, when more than ordinary trials 
