my return to the Depot was
not already shut out, by the drying up of the water in Strzelecki's
Creek, although I hoped Mr. Browne still held his ground; but not only
was I anxious on these heads, but as to our eventual retreat from these
heartless regions. I would gladly have rested for a few days, for I was
beginning to feel weak. From the 20th of July, and it was now the last
day but two of October, I had been in constant exercise from sunrise to
sunset; and if I except the few days I had rested at the Depot, had slept
under the canopy of heaven. My food had been insufficient to support me,
and I had a malady hanging upon me that was slowly doing its work; but I
felt that I had no time to spare, and, as I could not justify indulgence
to myself, so on the 29th we commenced our progress up the creek, but
halted at six miles on a beautiful sheet of water, and with every promise
of success. In the course of the day we passed a singularly large grave.
It was twenty-three feet long, and fourteen broad. The boughs on the top
of it were laid so as to meet the oval shape of the mound itself, but the
trees were not carved, nor were there any walks about it, as I had seen
in other parts of the continent.

Before we commenced our journey up the creek, I determined to secrete all
the stores I could, in order to lighten the loads of the horses as much
as possible, for they were now almost worn out; but it was difficult to
say where we should conceal them, so as to be secure from the quick eyes
of the natives. At first I thought my best plan would be to dig a hole
and bury them, and then to light a fire, so as to obliterate the marks;
but I changed my purpose, and placed them under a rhagodia bush, a short
distance from the creek, and arranged some boughs all round it. In this
place I hoped they would escape observation, for there were one or two
things I should have exceedingly regretted to lose.

The weather had been getting warmer and warmer, and it had at this time
become so hot that it was almost intolerable, worse indeed than at this
season the previous year. The 30th was a day of oppressive heat, and the
flies and mosquitoes were more than usually troublesome. I have not said
much of these insects in the course of this narrative, for after all they
are secondary objects only; but it is impossible to describe the
ceaseless annoyance of these and a small ant. The latter swarmed in
myriads in the creek and on the plains, and wha