and had
followed upon the tracks, so that the overseer had no alternative but to
drive them back to the camp. This was very unfortunate, as it would
occasion great delay in reaching the one we had left tied in the scrub. I
directed the overseer to hurry back as rapidly as possible, and by
travelling all night to endeavour to make up for lost time, for I greatly
feared that if not relieved before another day passed away, it would be
quite impossible to save the animal alive.

After resting myself a little I walked about to reconnoitre the
neighbourhood of our camp, not having seen it before. The situation was
at the west side of the upper extreme of Point Fowler, immediately behind
the sand-drifts of the coast, which there were high, bare, and of white
sand. The water was on the inland side, immediately under the sand-hills,
and procured in the greatest abundance and of good quality, by sinking
from one to three feet. It was found in a bed of white pipe-clay. To the
north-west of us were some open grassy plains, among which our horses and
sheep obtained their food, whilst here and there were scattered a few
salt swamps or beds of lakes, generally, however, dry. The whole country
was of fossil formation, and the borders of the lakes and swamps
exhibited indurated masses of marine shells, apparently but a very recent
deposit. Further inland the country was crusted on the surface with an
oolitic limestone, and for the most part covered by brush; a few open
plains being interspersed here and there among the scrubs, as is
generally the case in that description of country.

The natives still appeared to be in our neighbourhood, but none had been
near us since they first left on the 19th. I would now gladly have got
one of them to accompany me to look for water, but none could be found.
On the 26th and 27th I was occupied in getting up the cart, some casks,
etc. from the cutter, and preparing for another attempt to round the head
of the Great Bight. The vessel then sailed for Denial Bay, where she
could lie in greater safety, until I required her again.

Early on the 27th the man and black boy returned with the dray from the
westward, they had found the horse very weak and much exhausted, but by
care and attention he was got a little round, and the overseer had
remained to bring him slowly on: he had been four entire days and nights
without food or water, and for the first two days and a half of this time
had been severely wo