d for two hours during the heat of the day at
Carnapaga. At 4 we resumed our journey, and again stopped for an hour on
the little sand hill at the lower part of the creek, to enable the men to
take some refreshment. At quarter-past 8 we turned from the creek and
travelled all night by the light of a lamp, and at daylight were 18 miles
from Cawndilla. We had kept upon our former tracks, on which the cattle
had moved rapidly along, but they now began to flag. Mr. Browne was in
front of the party with Mr. Stuart, but he suddenly returned, and coming
up to my cart gave me a letter he had found nailed up to a tree by Mr.
Piesse. This letter was to inform me of his arrival on the banks of the
Williorara on the 6th of the month, of his having been twice on the road
in the hope of seeing us, and sent natives to procure intelligence of us,
who returned in so exhausted a state, that he had given up all
expectation of our being able to cross the hills. He stated that we
should find a barrel of water a little further on, together with a letter
from head quarters, but had retained all other letters until he should
see me; nevertheless, he had the gratification to tell me that he had
seen Mrs. Sturt the day before he left Adelaide, and that she was well.
About a mile further on, we found the barrel of water, and relieved our
suffering horses, and thus benefited by the prudent exertions of Mr.
Piesse. Nothing, indeed, appeared to have escaped the anxious solicitude
of that zealous officer to relieve our wants.

I reached Cawndilla at 9 a.m. and stopped on the banks of the Williorara
at the dregs of a water-hole, about six inches deep, it being all that
remained in the creek, but I was too much fatigued to push on to the
Darling, a further distance of seven miles, where Mr. Piesse then was.
The drays came up a little after noon; the cattle almost frantic from the
want of water. It was with difficulty the men unyoked them, and the
moment they were loose they plunged headlong into the creek and drank
greedily of the putrid water that remained.

Amongst the letters I now received was one from the Colonial Secretary,
informing me, that supplies had been forwarded to the point I had
specified, according to the request contained in my letter of July; that
my further suggestions had been acted upon, and that the Governor had
availed himself of Mr. Piesse's services again, to send him in charge of
the party: thus satisfied that he was on the D