for many
nights, I enjoyed a sound and refreshing sleep.

Chapter XVI.

GO BACK TO MEET THE OVERSEER--PARTY ARRIVE AT THE WATER--LONG
ENCAMPMENT--GEOLOGICAL FORMATION OF THE CLIFFS--MOVE ON AGAIN--DIG FOR
WATER--TRACES OF NATIVES--SEND BACK FOR WATER--PARROTS SEEN--COOL WINDS
FROM NORTH-EAST--OVERSEER RETURNS--CONTINUE THE JOURNEY--ABANDON
BAGGAGE--DENSE SCRUBS--DRIVEN TO THE BEACH--MEET NATIVES--MODE OF
PROCURING WATER FROM ROOTS.

March 12.--THE first streak of daylight found us on our way to meet the
party, carrying with us three gallons of water upon one of the horses,
the other was ridden by the boy. Upon passing the sandy valley, where I
had been in such a state of suspense and doubt at seeing the sand-hills
behind me, I determined to descend and examine them; but before doing so,
I wrote a note for the overseer (in case he should pass whilst I was in
the valley,) and hoisted a red handkerchief to attract his attention to
it.

I was unsuccessful in my search for water; but whilst among the
sand-hills, I saw the party slowly filing along the cliffs above the
valley, and leaving the boy to look about a little longer, I struck
across to meet them. Both horses and people I found greatly fatigued, but
upon the whole, they had got through the difficulty better than I had
anticipated; after leaving a great part of the loads of the pack-horses
about seventeen miles back, according to the written instructions I had
left. The sheep, it seemed, had broken out of the yard and travelled
backwards, and were picked up by the overseer, twelve miles away from
where we had left them; as they had got very tired and were delaying the
horses, he left one of the natives, this morning, to follow slowly with
them, whilst he pushed on with the pack-horses as rapidly as they could
go. After giving him the pleasing intelligence that his toil was nearly
over for the present, and leaving some few directions, I pushed on again
with the boy, who had not found the least sign of water in the valley, to
meet the native with the sheep. In about three miles we saw him coming on
alone without them, he said they were a mile further back, and so tired
they could not travel. Halting our horses, I sent him to bring them on,
and during his absence, had some tea made and dinner prepared for him.
When the sheep came up they were in sad condition, but by giving them
water and a few hours rest, they recovered sufficiently to travel on in
the