IN THE HERO. 
313 
officially, communicating the approbation of His 
Excellency and of the Colonists of the way in which 
I had discharged the trust confided to me, and direct- 
ing me to relinquish all further attempts to the west- 
ward, and to return in the Hero to Adelaide. 
Added to the numerous letters 1 received, were 
many friendly messages to the same effect, sent to 
me through Mr. Scott. I felt deeply sensible of 
the lively interest expressed in my welfare, and 
most grateful for the kind feeling manifested towards 
me on the part of the Governor and the Colonists ; 
it was with much pain and regret, therefore, that I 
found myself unable to comply with their requests, 
and felt compelled by duty to adopt a course at 
variance with their wishes. When I first broke up 
my party and sent Mr. Scott back to Adelaide, on 
the 31st January, 1841, I had well and maturely 
considered the step I felt myself called upon to 
adopt ; after giving my best and serious attention 
to the arguments of my friends, and carefully re- 
considering the subject now, I saw nothing to induce 
me to change the opinion I had then arrived at. 
It will be remembered, that in stating the origin 
and commencement of the Northern expedition, it 
was remarked, that a previously contemplated expe- 
dition to the Westward, was made to give way to it, 
and that I had myself been principally instrumental 
in changing the direction of public attention from 
the one to the other ; it will be remembered also, 
what publicity had been given to our departure, 
