AND DIVIDE THE PARTY, 
299 
with the fatigues and privations we should have to 
go through, than Europeans ; whilst their quickness 
of sight, habit of observation, and skill in tracking, 
might occasionally be of essential service to me. 
The native who had lately joined me from Adelaide, 
and whose country was around King George’s 
Sound, would, I hoped, be able to interpret to any 
tribes we might meet with, as it appeared to me 
that some of the words we had heard in use among 
the natives of this part of the coast were very similar 
to some I had heard among the natives of King 
George’s Sound. Three natives, however, were more 
than I required, and I would gladly have sent the 
youngest of them back to Adelaide, but he had been 
with me several years, and I did not like to send 
him away whilst he was willing to remain ; besides, 
he was so young and so light in weight, that if we 
were able to get on at all, his presence could cause 
but little extra difficulty. I therefore decided upon 
taking him also. 
There remained now only the overseer ; a man who 
had been in my service for many years, and whose 
energy, activity, and many useful qualities, had 
made him an invaluable servant to me at all times ; 
whilst his courage, prudence, good conduct, and 
fidelity, made me very desirous to have him with me 
in this last effort to cross to the westward. Having 
sent for him, I explained to him most fully the cir- 
cumstances in which I was placed, the utter impos- 
sibility of taking on the whole party through so 
