14 PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS. 
plan of operations in the field. This enabled me to 
avoid unnecessary delays, and to hasten every thing 
forward as rapidly as possible, so that when re- 
quested by the Governor to name a day for my 
departure I was enabled to fix upon the 18th of 
June. 
Having already done all in their power to for- 
ward and assist the equipment and arrangement of 
the expedition, the Governor and Mrs. Gawler were 
determined still further to increase the heavy debt 
of gratitude which I was already under to them, by 
inviting myself and party to meet the friends of 
the expedition at Government House on the morn- 
ing of our departure, that by a public demonstra- 
tion of interest in our welfare, we might be encou- 
raged in the undertaking upon which we were 
about to enter — and might be stimulated to brave 
the perils to which we should shortly be exposed, 
by a remembrance of the sympathy expressed 
in our behalf, and the pledge we should come under 
to the public upon leaving the abode of civilised 
man, for the unknown and trackless region which 
lay before us. 
On the 15th of June I attended a meeting of the 
Committee, and presented for audit the accounts of 
the expenditure incurred up to tha£ date. On the 
16th I had a sale of all my private effects, furni- 
ture, &c. by auction, and arranged my affairs in the 
best way that the very limited time at my disposal 
would permit. 
