THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 81 



in the navy, I named this tlie Bremer Eange, and its highest hill 

 Mount Gordon. 



Our horses having now been two days without water, and eating but 

 sparingly for Avant of it, I became anxious to obtain a supply for them, 

 and fortunately succeeded next morning, by digging in a small water- 

 course which we had followed down to the eastward. Here their pressing 

 thirst was in a slight degree alleviated by half a bucket apiece of a red 

 liquid, which was nevertheless fresh ; and before the heat of thq^ day 

 came on we fortunately found an abundant supply of good water, in 

 small pools in the midst of thickets and scrub, where little expected. 

 The rush of the poor horses to it was so sudden and uncontrollable, 

 that they were all in the midst of the pool in an instant, and two of 

 them carrying heavy loads were with difficulty unloaded and got out 

 again. By this time we had passed to the south side of the Eange, 

 and found a continuation of the fresh pools in a watercourse which 

 descended from its S.E. slopes ; there was however a total absence of 

 grass at this time, although there was reason to believe some good 

 grass had covered the hill-sides previous to the last fires, which had 

 swept all minor vegetation away, and left standing only that close 

 thicket and scrub which we heartily wished had shared the same fate. 



Food for our half-famished horses being now the first consideration, 

 and there appearing little prospect of obtaining it on a more northerly 

 route, or of procuring fresh water in the great salt valley to the south, 

 I steered E.S.E., across tolerably open sand-plains, towards the high 

 granite peak we had seen on the 1st, which was 28 miles distant in 

 the S.E. Anxiously did we watch the progress we made towards the 

 desired haven, not doubting its being able to afford us the means of 

 giving the party a couple of days' rest j for all the horses, and two in 

 particular, were sadly weak. All our anxiety and exertions however 

 could not accomplish our wishes : the famished and exhausted animals, 

 after a fatiguing journey of nearly twenty-four miles, to sunset, were 

 unable to proceed any further up a continued ascent, and we were com- 

 pelled once more to halt them for the night amidst coarse rushes and 

 scrub, and without any water, their existence appearing to depend on 

 our finding both water and grass on the morrow. 



Algeiub, on the meridian, gave the latitude 32° 52' 43'^ S., and our 

 distance from the granite-peak was still tlircc long up-hill miles. 



Commencing their ascent early next morning, the hill itself was 



VOL. VI. 



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