try, covered with shrubs, for here the wallabie, the opossum, the
kangaroo rat, the bandicoot, the leipoa, snakes, lizards, iguanas, and
many other animals, reptiles, birds, etc., abound; whilst the kangaroo,
the emu, and the native dog, are found upon their borders, or in the
vicinity of those small, grassy plains, which are occasionally met with
amidst the closest brushes.

Chapter XVII.

HORSES BEGIN TO KNOCK UP--COMPELLED TO FOLLOW ROUND THE BEACH--TINOR PONY
UNABLE TO PROCEED--GLOOMY PROSPECTS--OVERSEER BEGINS TO DESPOND--TWO MORE
HORSES LEFT BEHIND--FRAGMENTS OF WRECKS--WATER ALL CONSUMED--COLLECT
DEW--CHANGE IN CHARACTER OF COUNTRY--DIG A WELL--PROCURE WATER--NATIVE
AND FAMILY VISIT US--OVERSEER GOES BACK FOR BAGGAGE--DISASTROUS
TERMINATION OF HIS JOURNEY--SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF THE PARTY.

March 28.--AT daylight we moved on, every one walking, even the youngest
boy could not ride now, as the horses were so weak and jaded. Soon after
leaving the camp, one of them laid down, although the weight upon his
back was very light; we were consequently obliged to distribute the few
things he carried among the others, and let him follow loose. Our route
lay along the beach, as the dense scrub inland prevented us from
following any other course; we had, therefore, to go far out of our way,
tracing round every point, and following along every bay, whilst the
sea-weed frequently obstructed our path, and drove us again to the loose
sands, above high water mark, causing extra fatigue to our unfortunate
horses. At other times we were forced to go between these banks of
sea-weed and the sea, into the sea itself, on which occasions it required
our utmost vigilance to prevent the wretched horses from drinking the
salt water, which would inevitably have destroyed them. In order to
prevent this we were obliged to walk ourselves in the water, on the
sea-side of them, one of the party being in advance, leading one horse,
another being behind to keep up the rear, and the other three being at
intervals along the outside of the line, to keep them from stopping for
an instant until the danger was past.

We had scarcely advanced six miles from our last night's camp when the
little Timor pony I had purchased at Port Lincoln broke down completely;
for some time it had been weak, and we were obliged to drive it loose,
but it was now unable to proceed further, and we were compelled to
abandon it to a miserable and certain dea