THE INTEKIOR OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 85 



of Similar desciiption were visible to the southward and eastward, but 

 in every other direction was spread out one illimitable sea of flowering 

 scrub and thicket, with extensive chains of salt and samphire flats and 

 lakes, too numerous to particularize, and bounded by a distant horizon 

 as unbroken as that of the sea itself. 



Much of our time was now taken up in attending to the horses* 

 backs and sides, which were sadly galled by their saddles being mostly 

 those of ponies, and consequently too small. The leather and canvas 

 of their appointments were also bad, and required constant repairs, 

 which were rapidly consuming the small quantity of materials we had 

 taken with us for the purpose. 



Having by the evening of the 15 th completed all pressing repairs, 

 and weeded our baggage of every article that could possibly be dis- 

 pensed with, we again pushed forward to the eastward early next 

 moi-ning, Ney with only an empty saddle. His powers of endurance 

 had however been over-estimated, for at the end of fifteen miles they 

 again failed, and he could move no further. Giving him a portion of 

 the water we carried, Messrs, Eidley and Gregory's ofi-er to remain 

 and bring him on after us was accepted, and I made for the nearest 

 granite hill, which was then nine miles distant to the S.E., rising like 

 all the others out of extensive level flats of salt lakes nnd thickets. 

 With a star for our guide, we groped our way after dark through the 

 thick brushwood, and finally reached the hill at nine o'clock, turning the 

 tired horses loose to find the best feed they could. Water w^ had al- 

 ready passed through, in thick tea-tree swamps nearly up to their knees ; 

 and next morning an excellent spring-well was discovered at the east- 

 ern foot of the hill, amongst luxuriant grasses of the best quality. 

 Thither we immediately removed, from the rocky unsheltered bivouac 

 We had been compelled to take up for the previous night ; and soon 

 afterwards the absentees returned, having been unable to bring on Ney 

 nearer than four miles. At noon the attempt was renewed, aided by 

 our two water-kegs and a bag of good grass ; but when night closed in 

 the poor animal was still a quarter of a mile from the camp, utterly 

 unable to move another step, and it was not imtil next morning that 

 he could be brought in. As both grass and water were abundant at this 

 limited spot, I determined on leaving him here to have a chance of re- 

 covering from his exhaustion, and of being called for again on our 

 return homfiwnrrls hv n morft southerly route. I could scarcely brinir 



