was very little grass for the
horses, and that old and withered. In the morning one of the natives shot
a large wallabie, and this evening the three had it amongst them for
supper; after which they took charge of the horses for the night, this
being the first time they had ever watched them on the journey, myself
and the overseer having exclusively performed this duty heretofore; but,
as I was now expecting a longer and almost more arduous push than any we
had yet made, and in order that we might be able to discharge efficiently
the duties devolving upon us, and make those exertions which our
exigences might require, I deemed it only right that we should sometimes
be assisted by the two elder boys, in a task which we had before always
found to be the most disagreeable and fagging of any, that of watching
the horses at night, after a long and tiring day's journey.

On the morning of the 29th we moved away very early, passing over a rocky
level country, covered with low brush, and very fatiguing to both
ourselves and our horses. The morning was gloomy and close, and the day
turned out intensely hot. After travelling only fifteen miles we were
compelled to halt until the greatest heat was passed. Our stock of water
and provisions only admitted of our making two meals in the day,
breakfast and supper; but as I intended this evening to travel great part
of the night, we each made our meal now instead of later in the day, that
we might not be delayed when the cool of the evening set in. We had been
travelling along the summit of the cliffs parallel with the coast line,
and had found the country level and uniform in its character; the cliffs
still being from two to three hundred feet in elevation, and of the same
formation as I noticed before. There were patches of grass scattered
among the scrub at intervals, but all were old and withered.

At four in the afternoon we again proceeded on our journey, but had not
gone far before the sky unexpectedly became overcast with clouds, and the
whole heavens assumed a menacing and threatening appearance. To the east
and to the west, thunderclouds gathered heavily around, every indication
of sudden and violent rain was present to cheer us as we advanced, and
all were rejoicing in the prospects of a speedy termination to our
difficulties. The wind had in the morning been north-east, gradually
veering round to north and north-west, at which point it was stationary
when the clouds began to