f early, in the hope of reaching the ranges by noon, but we had
not gone three miles when one of the pack-horses that was carrying less
than forty pounds weight began to fail, and the load was placed on my
saddle-horse; it did not, however, enable him to get on more than a
couple of miles further, when we were compelled to abandon him, leaving
him under the shade of the only tree we could find, in the hope that we
could bring back water to his relief. Finding that it would be many hours
before the horses could be got on to the ranges, I started ahead on foot,
leaving Brown and Harding to come on gently, while I was to make a signal
by fires if successful in finding water. Two hours' heavy toil through
the sand, under a broiling sun, brought me to the ranges, where I
continued to hunt up one ravine after another until 5 p.m. without
success. Twelve hours' almost incessant walking, on a scanty breakfast
and without water, with the thermometer over a hundred degrees of
Fahrenheit, began to tell upon me severely; so much so that by the time I
had tracked up my companions (who had reached the hills by 1 p.m. and
were anxiously waiting for me) it was as much as I could do to carry my
rifle and accoutrements. The horses were looking truly wretched, and I
was convinced that the only chance of saving them, if water was not
found, would be by abandoning our pack-saddles, provisions, and
everything we could possibly spare, and try and recover them afterwards
if practicable. We therefore encamped for the night on the last plot of
grass we could find, and proceeded to make arrangements for an early
start in the morning. There was still a few pints of water in the kegs,
having been very sparing in the use of it; this enabled us to have a
little tea and make a small quantity of damper, of which we all stood in
much need. Camp 77.

"8th September. At 4 p.m. we were again up, having disposed of our
equipments and provisions, except our riding-saddles, instruments, and
firearms, by suspending them in the branches of a low tree. We divided a
pint of water for our breakfast, and by the first peep of dawn were
driving our famished horses at their best speed towards the depot, which
was now thirty-two miles distant. For the first eight miles they went on
pretty well, but the moment the sun began to have power they flagged
greatly, and it was not long before we were obliged to relinquish another
horse quite unable to proceed. By 9 a.m. I found