its bosom, and seemed to be full of fish, while the paths of
the natives on both sides, like well-trodden roads, showed how numerous
they were about it. On tasting its waters, however, we found them
perfectly salt, and useless to us, and as our animals had been without
water the night before, this circumstance distressed us much; our first
day's journey led us past between sixty and seventy huts in one place, and
on our second we fell in with a numerous tribe of natives, having
previously seen some between two creeks before we made New-Year's Range.
At some places the water proved less salt than at others; our animals
drank of it sparingly: we found two small fresh-water holes, which served
us as we passed. After tracing the river for a considerable distance, we
came on brine springs in the bed of it, the banks having been encrusted
with salt from the first; and as the difficulty of getting fresh water was
so great, I here foresaw an end to our wanderings. And as I was resolved
not to involve my party in greater distress, I halted it, on overtaking
the animals, and the next morning turned back to the nearest fresh-water,
at a distance of eighteen miles from us. Unwilling, however, to give up
our pursuit, Mr. Hume and I started with two men on horseback, to trace
the river as far as we could, and to ascertain what course it took; in the
hopes also that we should fall on some creek, or get a more certain supply
of drinkable water. We went a distance to which the bullocks could not
have been brought, and then got on a red sandy soil, which at once
destroyed our hopes; and on tasting the river water we found it salter
than ever, our supply being diminished to two pints. Our animals being
weak and purged, and having proceeded at least forty miles from the camp,
I thought it best to yield to circumstances, and to return, though I trust
I shall be believed when I add, it was with extreme reluctance I did so;
and had I followed the wishes of my party, should still have continued
onwards. Making a part of the river where we had slept, we stayed to
refresh, and in consequence of the heat of the weather were obliged to
drink the water in it, which made us sick. While here, a tribe of blacks
came to us and behaved remarkably well. At night we slept on a plain
without water, and the next day we regained the camp, which had been
visited by the natives during our absence.

We found the river held a south-west course, and appeared to be