The soil was still clay and sand, but we crossed some very fine flats,
and only wanted water to enjoy comparative luxury. Both the flats and the
ridges were well clothed with grass, and the former had box-trees and
hakeas scattered over them; but these favourable indications soon ceased.
The pine ridges closed upon each other once more, and the flats became
covered with salsolaceous plants. The day was exceedingly hot, and still
more oppressive in the brushes, so that the horses began to flag. At 2
p.m. no favourable change had taken place. Our view was limited to the
succeeding sand hill; nor, by ascending the highest trees, could we see
any elevated land at that hour; therefore I stopped, as the cart got on
so slowly, and as the horses would now, under any circumstances, be three
days without water, I determined on retracing my steps to the creek in
which we had dug the well. I directed Mr. Browne, with Flood, however, to
push on, till sunset, in the hope that he might see a change. At sunset I
commenced my retreat, feeling satisfied that I had no hope of success in
finding water so far from the hills. Turning back at so late an hour in
the afternoon, it was past midnight when we reached the sand ridge from
which we had started in the morning; where we again stopped until dawn,
when proceeding onwards, and passing a shallow puddle of surface water,
that was so thick with mud and animalculae as to be unfit to drink, we
gained the creek at half-past 4 p.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206