atering the horses, we took ten gallons upon a
pack-horse, and proceeded on our return to the man we had left; the state
in which our own horses were, having made it absolutely necessary to give
them the day's rest they had yesterday enjoyed. We arrived about five in
the afternoon, at the little plain where we had left the man; he was
anxiously looking out for us, having just finished his last quart of
water. The poor mare looked very weak and wretched, but after giving her
at intervals, eight gallons of water, she fed a little, and I fully hoped
we should succeed in saving her life. No natives had been seen during our
absence.

The night set in very dark and lowering, and I expected a heavy fall of
rain; to catch which we spread our oilskins and tarpaulin, and placed out
the buckets and pannekins, or whatever else would hold water: a few
drops, however, only fell, and the storm passed away, leaving us as much
under a feeling of disappointment, as we had been previously of hope: one
little shower would have relieved us at once from all our difficulties.

December 5.--Upon getting up early, I thought the horses looked so much
refreshed, that we might attempt to take back the dray, and had some of
the strongest of them yoked up. We proceeded well for two miles and a
half to our encampment of the 30th November; and as there was then a well
defined track, I left the man to proceed alone, whilst I myself went once
more to the coast to make a last effort to procure water among some of
the sand-drifts. In this I was unsuccessful. There were not the slightest
indications of water existing any where. In returning to rejoin the dray,
I struck into our outward track, about three miles below, where I had
left it, and was surprised to find that the dray had not yet passed,
though I had been three hours absent. Hastily riding up the track, I
found the man not half a mile from where I had left him, and surrounded
by natives. They had come up shortly after my departure; and the man,
getting alarmed, was not able to manage his team properly, but by
harassing them had quite knocked up all the horses; the sun was getting
hot, and I saw at once it would be useless to try and take the dray any
further.

Having turned out the horses to rest a little, I went to the natives to
try to find out, if possible, where they procured water, but in vain.
They insisted that there was none near us, and pointed in the direction
of the head of the Bight