back upon the Oakover, where there
was much better feed, I started with Messrs. Brown and Harding, taking
six of the strongest horses, sixteen days' rations and six gallons of
water, and steered south-south-east along the ranges for six or eight
miles, looking for some stream-bed that might lead us through the plains,
but was disappointed to find that they were all lost in the first mile
after leaving the hills, and as crossing the numerous ridges of sand
proved very fatiguing to the horses, we determined once more to attempt
to strike to the eastward between the ridges, which we did for fifteen
miles, when our horses again showed signs of failing us, which left us
the only alternative of either pushing on at all hazards to a distant
range that was now just visible to the eastward, where, from the numerous
native fires and general depression of the country, there was every
reason to think a large river would be found to exist, or to make for
some deep rocky gorges in the granite hills ten miles to the south, in
which there was every prospect of finding water. In the former case the
travelling would be smoothest, but the distance so great that, in the
event of our failing to obtain water, we probably should not succeed in
bringing back one of our horses; while, in the latter, we should have to
climb over the sand ridges, which we had already found so fatiguing; this
course, however, involved the least amount of risk, and we accordingly
struck south four miles, and halted for the night. Camp 76.

REPULSED FOR WANT OF WATER. INTENSE HEAT.

7th September.

The horses did not look much refreshed by the night's rest; we, however,
divided three gallons of water amongst them, and started off 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 upon 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 might bring
back water to his relief. Finding that it would be many hours before the
horses could be got on to the hills, I started ahead on foot, leaving
Messrs. 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 s