at the length of my absence, were at
first buoyed up with the hope that I had found water; but this hope had
at last died away, and they knew not what to conjecture. They were all
reduced to the last degree of weakness and want; indeed I myself was at
this period suffering from the most distressing symptoms of thirst; not
only was my mouth parched, burning, and devoid of moisture, but the
senses of sight and hearing became much affected; I could scarcely
recognise the voices of the rest; and when uncouth unnatural tones struck
upon my ear it took me some time to collect my thoughts in order to
understand what was said, somewhat in the way in which one is obliged to
act when roused suddenly from a deep sleep. In the same manner my sight
had become feeble and indistinct; but by far the most distressing
sensation was that experienced upon rising up after having rested for a
few moments. I then felt the blood rush violently to the head, and the
feeling produced was as if it were driven by a forcing-pump through all
my veins.

LAST EFFORTS.

Previously to starting again I gave the men orders, which I believed at
the time would be, to some at least, the last. I did not attempt to hide
from them the dangers which surrounded us; but stating these I
represented that matters had now arrived at such a crisis that, in the
event of any of them being unable to proceed, it would be wrong to expect
the others to halt on their account; and I therefore called upon all to
exert their utmost energies and boldly to make a last struggle for their
lives. My intention, I told them, was to proceed slowly but steadily to
the southward, and never once to halt until I dropped or reached water;
even in the event of any being unable to keep up I warned them that I
should not wait for them but still pursue a steady and undeviating course
until water was found; but as soon as I had slaked my own thirst I would
return and bring assistance to those who might have been unable to come
on with me.

PAINFUL MARCH.

Having thus imparted my intentions I ordered them to throw away every
superfluous article; and a very valuable sextant, which had hitherto been
carried turn about by Corporals Auger and Coles, was here abandoned.
These our preparations having been made we moved slowly on in sad
procession, and never shall I forget the wild and haggard looks of those
that followed me; reason had begun to hold but a very slight influence
over some, and I feel