tching out before us in lofty unbroken outline, they
presented the singular and romantic appearance of massy battlements of
masonry, supported by huge buttresses, and glittering in the morning sun
which had now risen upon them, and made the scene beautiful even amidst
the dangers and anxieties of our situation. It was indeed a rich and
gorgeous view for a painter, and I never felt so much regret at my
inability to sketch as I did at this moment.

Still we kept moving onwards and still the cliffs continued. Hour after
hour passed away, mile after mile was traversed, and yet no change was
observable. My anxiety for the party who were to follow behind with the
pack-horses became very great; the state of doubt and uncertainty I was
in was almost insupportable, and I began to fear that neither sheep nor
horses would ever reach the water, even should we suceeed in doing so
ourselves, which now appeared to be very doubtful. At noon I considered
we had come one hundred and ten miles from the last water, and still the
country remained the same. The cliffs indeed appeared to be gradually
declining a little in elevation to the westward, but there was nothing to
indicate their speedy termination. Our sheep still travelled, but they
were getting so tired, and their pace was so slow, that I thought it
would be better to leave them behind, and by moving more rapidly with the
horses endeavour at least to save their lives. Foreseeing that such a
contingency as this might occur, I had given the overseer strict orders
to keep the tracks of my horses, that if I should be compelled to abandon
the sheep he might find them and bring them on with his party.

Having decided upon this plan we set to work and made a strong high yard
of such shrubs as we could find, and in this we shut up the sheep. I then
wrote a note for the overseer, directing him to bury the loads of the
horses, and hastening on with the animals alone endeavour to save their
lives. To attract attention I raised a long stick above the sheep-yard,
and tied to it a red handkerchief, which could be seen a long way off. At
one we again proceeded, and were able to advance more rapidly than we
could whilst the sheep were with us. In a few miles we came to a
well-beaten native road, and again our hopes were raised of speedily
terminating the anxiety and suspense we were in. Following the road for
ten miles it conducted us to where the cliffs receded a little from the
sea, leaving a sm