d had to
dig a tank twenty feet long by six feet deep, and six feet wide at the
bottom, though at the top it was much wider. I may remark--and what I
now say applies to almost every other water I ever got by digging in
all my wanderings--that whenever we commenced to dig, a swarm of large
and small red hornets immediately came around us, and, generally
speaking, diamond birds (Amadina) would also come and twitter near,
and when water was got, would drink in great numbers. With regard to
the hornets, though they swarmed round our heads and faces in clouds,
no one was ever stung by them, nature and instinct informing them that
we were their friends. We worked and waited for two hours before one
of our three horses could obtain a drink. The water came so slowly in
that it took nearly all the night before the last animal's thirst was
assuaged, as by the time the third got a drink, the first was ready to
begin again, and they kept returning all through the night. We rested
our horses here to-day to allow them to fill themselves with food, as
no doubt they will require all the support they can get to sustain
them in their work before we reach the distant mountain. We passed the
day in enlarging the tank, and were glad to find that, though no
increase in the supply of water was observable, still there seemed no
diminution, as now a horse could fill himself at one spell. We took a
stroll up into the rocks and gullies of the ridges, and found a
Troglodytes' cave ornamented with the choicest specimens of aboriginal
art. The rude figures of snakes were the principal objects, but hands,
and devices for shields were also conspicuous. One hieroglyph was most
striking; it consisted of two Roman numerals--a V and an I, placed
together and representing the figure VI; they were both daubed over
with spots, and were painted with red ochre. Several large rock-holes
were seen, but they had all long lain dry. A few cypress pines grew
upon the rocks in several places. The day was decidedly hot; the
thermometer stood at 100 degrees in the shade at three o'clock, and we
had to fix up a cloth for an awning to get sufficient shade to sit
under. Our only intellectual occupation was the study of a small map
of Australia, showing the routes of the Australian explorers. How
often we noted the facility with which other and more fortunate
travellers dropped upon fine creeks and large rivers. We could only
envy them their good fortune, and hope the futur