miles we halted for an hour or two to rest the
sheep and horses, feeding was out of the question, for they were too much
in want of water to attempt to cat the dry and withered grass around us.
We now lay down to rest ourselves, and the boy soon fell asleep; I was
however feverish and restless, and could not close my eyes. In an hour
and a half I arose, got up the horses and saddled them, and then, awaking
my companion, we again pushed on by moonlight. At ten miles we crossed a
well beaten native pathway, plainly discernible even then, and this we
followed down towards the cliffs, fully hoping it would lead to water.
Our hopes however had been excited but to render our disappointment the
greater, for upon tracing it onwards we found it terminate abruptly at a
large circular hole of limestone rock, which would retain a considerable
quantity of water after rains, but was now without a single drop.
Gloomily turning away we again pushed on for eight miles further, and at
three in the morning of the 10th were compelled to halt from downright
exhaustion and fatigue. The horses and sheep were knocked up. The poor
boy was so tired and sleepy that he could scarcely sit upon his horse,
and I found myself actually dosing as I walked: mechanically my legs kept
moving forwards, but my eyes were every now and then closed in
forgetfulness of all around me, until I was suddenly thrown down by
getting entangled amongst the scrub, or aroused by a severe blow across
the face from the recoil of a bough after the passage of the boy's horse.
I now judged we had come about ninety-three miles from Yeerkumban-kauwe,
and hoped that we could not be very far from water. Having tied up the
horses for an hour or two, and without making a fire, or even unrolling
our cloaks to cover us, we stretched ourselves on the ground, and were in
a few moments fast asleep.

March 10.--At five we were again on our route, every moment expecting to
see a break in the line of cliffs along which we had now travelled so
far. Alas! they still continued stretching as far as the eye could see to
the westward, and as fast as we arrived at one point which had bounded
our vision (and beyond which we hoped a change might occur), it was but
to be met with the view of another beyond. Distressing and fatal as the
continuance of these cliffs might prove to us, there was a grandeur and
sublimity in their appearance that was most imposing, and which struck me
with admiration. Stre