en by digging; the
country northward appeared even less likely to afford a supply, so much
required, as it seemed to consist wholly of limestone and loose sand,
without swamps or watercourses; the nearest spot at which we could hope
to find it in this direction was the south part of Freycinet Harbour,
distant, according to the charts, about thirty miles, and great doubt
existed of the accuracy of it in this position (error having been found
in some other parts of the coast-line); nor was it certain that we could
find water on the coast, in which case the loss of our horses would be
almost a necessary consequence, several of them showing extreme fatigue.
The circumstances of the case required a prompt decision; I therefore
ordered an immediate return towards the last spot where we had seen
water. The whole party felt convinced of the necessity of returning,
though with the greatest reluctance to do so, as it seemed to put an end
to almost every hope of reaching the Gascoyne River. We followed our
route back, and halted at 5.30 in a wattle thicket.

A HORSE FINDS WATER.

2nd October.

Left our uncomfortable bivouac at 7.30 a.m.; steered south-east. Finding
the horses scarcely able to travel from want of water, I took the
strongest and rode over to the spot where we had obtained a little on the
30th September, to dig wells and have a supply ready, if it could be
obtained in sufficient quantity; at 11.0 arrived, and found the wells we
had dug nearly dry; by opening several trenches down to the rocks which
lay about one and a half feet below the surface, the water oozed in, and
when the party came up, at 12.0, there was about a gallon for each horse;
taking off the packs, we commenced watering: four horses had received
their small allowance, when it came to my horse Bob's turn; after
drinking his share he marched off at a smart pace, which somewhat
surprised us, as he started in the direction of what we had supposed to
be nothing but a tea-tree scrub; on following him, we found the horse
drinking at a small shallow pool of water in a hollow in the clay. This
was a very fortunate discovery, as the trenches filled with water so
slowly that a full supply could not have been obtained that night, and
the horses had been sixty-five hours without water.

SAND PLAINS AND SCRUB. RETURN TO THE MURCHISON RIVER.

3rd October.

This morning Mr. Burges and myself started at 7.30 a.m. in a
north-easterly course, to ascertain the pra