n him disappear. About 3 p.m., one of the
men came to inform me that Mr. Browne was crossing the creek, the camp
being on its left bank, and in a few minutes afterwards he entered my
tent. "Well, Browne," said I, "what news? Is it to be good or bad?"
"There is still water in the creek," said he, "but that is all I can say.
What there is is as black as ink, and we must make haste, for in a week
it will be gone." Here then the door was still open,--a way to escape
still practicable, and thankful we both felt to that Power which had
directed our steps back again ere it was finally closed upon us; but even
now we had no time to lose: to have taken the cattle without any prospect
of relief until they should arrive at Flood's Creek, would have been to
sacrifice almost the whole of them, and to reduce the expedition to a
condition such as I did not desire. The necessary steps to be taken, in
the event of Mr. Browne's bringing back good tidings, had engaged my
attention during his absence, and with his assistance, that on which I
had determined was immediately put into execution. I directed three more
bullocks to be shot, and their skins prepared; and calculated that by
abandoning the boat and our heavier stores, we might carry a supply of
water on the drays, sufficient for the use of the remaining animals on
the way. Three bullocks were accordingly killed, and the skins stripped
over them from the neck downwards, so that the opening might be as small
as possible.

The boat was launched upon the creek, which I had vainly hoped would have
ploughed the waters of a central sea. We abandoned our bacon and heavier
stores, the drays were put into order, their wheels wedged up, their
axles greased, and on the 6th of December, at 5 p.m., we commenced our
retreat, having a distance of 270 miles to travel to the Darling, and
under circumstances which made it extremely uncertain how we should
terminate the journey, since we did not expect to find any water between
Flood's Creek and the Rocky Glen, or between the Rocky Glen and the
Darling itself. The three or four days preceding our departure had been
quite overpowering, neither did there seem to be a likelihood of any
abatement of the heat when we left the Depot. At 5 a.m. of the morning of
the 7th, having travelled all night, I halted to rest the men and
animals. We had then the mortification to find one of the skins was
defective, and let out the water at an hundred different pores. I