cold.

April 19.

The rain and clouds protracted the morning dawn until late, which
somewhat lengthened our miseries. As soon however as it was light enough
to see our way we started, and moved slowly onwards in a south by east
direction. The men were all completely crippled from the cold of the
night, and it was with the greatest difficulty I could get either them or
the native to move. My own energies were however only raised from these
calls upon them, and I cheered them on as well as I could. Corporal
Coles, my faithful and tried companion in all my wanderings, could
scarcely crawl along. The flesh was completely torn away from one of his
heels, and the irritation caused by this had produced a large swelling in
the groin. Nothing but his own strong fortitude, aided by the
encouragement given him by myself and his comrades, could have made him
move under his great agony.

Still however we advanced slowly; other lives depended on our exertions;
and whenever I reminded the men of this for a minute or two they
quickened their pace. Pale, wasted, and weak, we still crawled onwards in
the straight line for Perth, which I assured them they would reach on
Saturday night or Sunday morning.

RIVER OF RUNNING WATER. PASS THE MOORE RIVER.

About two hours and a half after starting we crossed the southern branch
of the Moore River, which was running strong; but the rain, which had
only just ceased, prevented our being thirsty.

The whole of this day's route lay over hills similar to those we had
found yesterday. We moved on, occasionally halting for a few minutes,
until it was so dark we could no longer see, and then laid down, having
again this day tasted no food.

MISERY FROM RAIN AND COLD.

It rained hard all night and our miseries of the last one were repeated.
We were also less able to bear them, being weaker from longer abstinence.
This day we travelled about one-and-twenty miles.

DESPONDING FEELINGS.

April 20.

This morning we rose again, weak and stiffened from the cold and wet;
life had long ceased to have any charms for me, and I fancy that the
others must have experienced a similar feeling. A disinclination to move
pervaded the whole, and I had much the same desire to sink into the sleep
of death, that one feels to take a second slumber of a morning after
great fatigue. My life was not worth the magnitude of the effort that it
cost me to move; but other lives depended on mine, so I rose up weak and
g