It was impossible for me to take my whole party and the drays overland through the dreadful country verging upon the Great Bight; whilst if I took the party, and left the drays, it was equally hopeless that I could carry upon pack-horses a sufficiency of provisions to last us to King George's Sound.

There remained, then, but two alternatives, either to break through the instructions I had received with regard to the HERO, or to reduce my party still further, and attempt to force a passage almost alone.

The first I did not, for many reasons, think myself justified in doing--the second, therefore, became my DERNIER RESORT, and I reluctantly decided upon adopting it.
It now became my duty to determine without delay who were to be my companions in the perilous attempt before me.

The first and most painful necessity impressed upon me by the step I contemplated, was that of parting with my young friend, Mr.Scott, who had been with me from the commencement of the undertaking, and who had always been zealous and active in promoting its interests as far as lay in his power.

I knew that, on an occasion like this, the spirit and enterprise of his character would prompt in him a wish to remain and share the difficulties and dangers to which I might be exposed: but I felt that I ought not to allow him to do so; I had no right to lead a young enthusiastic friend into a peril from which escape seemed to be all but hopeless; and painful as it would be to us both to separate under such circumstances, there was now no other alternative; the path of duty was plain and imperative, and I was bound to follow it.
On the 28th, I took the opportunity, whilst walking down to the beach with Mr.Scott, of explaining the circumstances in which I was placed, and the decision to which I had been forced.