lent attack, and determined on
getting to the old Depot as soon as possible; but as the horses had not
had sufficient rest, I put off my journey to 5 p.m. on the following day,
when I left Fort Grey with Mr. Stuart, directing Mack and Morgan to
follow at the same hour on the following day, and promising that I would
send a dray with water to meet them. I rode all that night until 3 p.m.
of the 17th, when we reached the tents, which Mr. Browne had pitched
about two miles below the spot we had formerly occupied. If I except two
or three occasions on which I was obliged to dismount to rest my back for
a few minutes we rode without stopping, and might truly be said to have
been twenty hours on horseback.

Sincere I believe was the joy of Mr. Browne, and indeed of all hands, at
seeing us return, for they had taken it for granted that our retreat
would have been cut off. I too was gratified to find that Mr. Brown was
better, and to learn that everything had gone on well. Davenport had
recently been taken ill, but the other men had recovered on their removal
from the cause of their malady.

When I dismounted I had nearly fallen forward. Thinking that one of the
kangaroo dogs in his greeting had pushed me between the legs, I turned
round to give him a slap, but no dog was there, and I soon found out that
what I had felt was nothing more than strong muscular action brought on
by hard riding.

As I had promised I sent Jones with a dray load of water to meet Morgan
and Mack, who came up on the 19th with the rest of the horses.

Mr. Browne informed me that the natives had frequently visited the camp
during my absence. He had given them to understand that we were going
over the hills again, on which they told him that if he did not make
haste all the water would be gone. It now behoved us therefore to effect
our retreat upon the Darling with all expedition. Our situation was very
critical, for the effects of the drought were more visible now than
before the July rain,--no more indeed had since fallen, and the water in
the Depot creek was so much reduced that we had good reason to fear that
none remained anywhere else. On the 18th I sent Flood to a small creek,
between us and the Pine forest, but he returned on the following day with
information that it had long been dry. Thus then were my fears verified,
and our retreat to the Darling apparently cut off. About this time too
the very elements, against which we had so long been con