May 3.—­The seventh day’s dawn found us early commencing our journey.  The poor horses still crawled on, though slowly.  I was surprised that they were still alive, after the continued sufferings and privations they had been subject to.  As for ourselves, we were both getting very weak and worn out, as well as lame, and it was with the greatest difficulty I could get Wylie to move, if he once sat down.  I had myself the same kind of apathetic feeling, and would gladly have laid down and slept for ever.  Nothing but a strong sense of duty prevented me from giving way to this pleasing but fatal indulgence.

The road to-day became worse than ever, being one continued succession of sandy, scrubby and rocky ridges, and hollows formed on the top of the cliffs along which our course lay.  After travelling two and a half miles, however, we were cheered and encouraged by the sight of sandy hills, and a low coast stretching beyond the cliffs to the south-west, though they were still some distance from us.  At ten miles from where we had slept, a native road led us down a very steep part of the cliffs, and we descended to the beach.  The wretched horses could scarcely move, it was with the greatest difficulty we got them down the hill, and now, although within sight of our goal, I feared two of them would never reach it.  By perseverance we still got them slowly along, for two miles from the base of the cliffs, and then turning in among the sand-drifts, to our great joy and relief, found a place where the natives had dug for water; thus at twelve o’clock on the seventh day since leaving the last depot, we were again encamped at water, after having crossed 150 miles of a rocky, barren, and scrubby table land.

Chapter II.

Reflections upon situation—­watch for the arrival of the native
boys—­their probable fate—­proceed on the journey—­facility of obtaining
water—­kill A horse for food—­silver-bark tea-tree—­intense cold—­first
hills seen—­good grass—­appetite of A native—­injurious effects of
unwholesome diet—­change in the character of the country—­granite forms
the low water level—­tree washed on shore—­indisposition.

Having at last got fairly beyond all the cliffs bounding the Great Bight, I fully trusted that we had now overcome the greatest difficulties of the undertaking, and confidently hoped that there would be no more of those fearful long journeys through the desert without water, but that the character of the country would be changed, and so far improved as to enable us to procure it, once at least every thirty or forty miles, if not more frequently.