ater to give them a good drink, and camped on a small patch
of rough grass in one of the gorges. Spinifex everywhere; it is a most
fearful country. We cannot proceed farther in this direction, and must
return and meet the party, which I hope to do to-morrow night. We can
only crawl along, having to walk and lead the horses, or at least drag
them. The party have been following us, only getting a little water from
gullies, and there is very little to fall back on for over fifty miles. I
will leave what I intend doing until I meet them. I am nearly knocked up
again to-night; my boots have hurt my feet, but I am not yet
disheartened.

4th.
We travelled back towards the party, keeping a little to the west of our
outward track; and after going five miles found some water in clay-holes,
sufficient to last the party about one night. Two of our horses being
knocked up, I made up my mind to let the party meet us here, although I
scarcely know what to do when they do arrive. To go forward looks very
unpromising, and to retreat we have quite seventy miles with scarcely any
water and no feed at all. The prospect is very cheerless, and what I
shall do depends on the state of the horses, when they reach here. It is
very discouraging to have to retreat, as Mr. Gosse's farthest point west
is only 200 miles from us. We finished all our rations this morning, and
we have been hunting for game ever since twelve o'clock, and managed to
get a wurrung and an opossum, the only living creatures seen, and which
Windich was fortunate to capture.

LOSS OF HORSES.

5th (Sunday).
Early this morning Windich and I went in search of more water. Having
nothing to eat, it did not take us long to have a little drink of water
for our breakfast. Went a few miles to the North-West and looked all
round, but only found a small rock water-hole. Windich got an opossum out
of a tree. We returned about twelve o'clock and then ate the opossum. At
about one o'clock we saddled up and made back towards the party, which I
thought should have arrived by this time. When about two miles we met
them coming on; they had been obliged to leave two horses on the way,
knocked up, one named Fame, about twenty-four miles away, and Little
Padbury about eight miles back; all the others were in pretty good trim,
although very hungry and tired. We returned to the little water, which
they soon finished. I was glad to meet the party again, although we were
in a bad position. Intend