had been friendly to
us, and who knew not the embarrassment and danger which their presence
caused us.

Strongly as our patience had been exercised in the morning, it was still
more severely tested in the afternoon--for eight long hours had those
natives sat opposite to us watching. From eight in the morning until four
in the afternoon, we had been doomed to disappointment. About this time,
however, a general movement again took place; once more they collected
their spears, shouldered their wallets, and moved off rapidly and
steadily towards the south-east. It was evident they had many miles to go
to their encampment, and I now knew we should be troubled with them no
more. Leaving the boy to keep guard again upon the hill, the man and I
dug a large hole, and buried all our provisions, harness, pack-saddles,
water-casks, etc. leaving the dray alone exposed in the plains. After
smoothing the surface of the ground, we made a large fire over the place
where the things were concealed, and no trace remained of the earth
having been disturbed.

We had now no time to lose, and moving away slowly, drove the horses
before us towards the water. The delay, however, had been fatal; the
strength of the poor animals was too far exhausted, and before we had
gone seven miles, one of them could not proceed, and we were obliged to
leave him; at three miles further two more were unable to go on, and
they, too, were abandoned, though within twelve miles of the water. We
had still two left, just able to crawl along, and these, by dint of great
perseverance and care, we at last got to the water about four o'clock in
the morning of the 6th. They were completely exhausted, and it was quite
impossible they could go back the same day, to take water to those we had
left behind. The man, myself, and the boy were in but little better
plight; the anxiety we had gone through, the great heat of the weather,
and the harassing task of travelling over the heavy sandy hills, covered
with scrub, in the dark, and driving jaded animals before us, added to
the want of water we were suffering under, had made us exceedingly weak,
and rendered us almost incapable of further exertion. In the evening I
sent the man, who had been resting all day, to try and bring the two
horses nearest to us a few miles on the road, whilst I was to meet him
with water in the morning. Native fires were seen to the north-east of us
at night, but the people did not seem to have been