to the north-west, and of the sand hills to the
south-east, as being the only places where it could be procured; when I
considered, however, that I had seen these same natives on the 30th
November, and that I found them within half a mile of the same place,
five days afterwards, I could not help thinking that there must be water
not very far away. It is true, the natives require but little water
generally, but they cannot do without it altogether. If there was a small
hole any where near us, why they should refuse to point it out, I could
not imagine. I had never before found the least unwillingness on their
part to give us information of this kind; but on the contrary, they were
ever anxious and ready to conduct us to the waters that they were
acquainted with. I could only conclude, therefore, that what they stated
was true--that there was no water near us, and that they had probably
come out upon a hunting excursion, and carried their own supplies with
them in skins, occasionally, perhaps, renewing this from the small
quantities found in the hollows of the gum scrub, and which is deposited
there by the rains, or procuring a drink, as they required it, from the
long lateral roots of the same tree. [Note 26: Vide Chapter XVI., towards
the close.] I have myself seen water obtained in both these ways. The
principal inducement to the natives to frequent the small plains
where we were encamped, appeared to be, to get the fruit of the
Mesembryanthemum, which grew there in immense quantities, and was
now just ripe; whilst the scrub, by which these plains were surrounded,
seemed to be alive with wallabie, adding variety to abundance in the
article of food.

We were now on the horns of a very serious dilemma: our horses were
completely fagged out, and could take the dray no further. We were
surrounded by natives, and could not leave it, and the things upon it,
whilst they were present (for many of these things we could not afford to
lose); and on the other hand, we were twenty-two miles from any water,
and our horses were suffering so much from the want of it, that unless we
got them there shortly, we could not hope to save the lives of any one of
them.

Had the natives been away, we could have buried the baggage, and left the
dray; but as it was, we had only to wait patiently, hoping they would
soon depart. Such, however, was not their intention; there they sat
coolly and calmly, facing and watching us, as if determined to si