118 JOURNEY OF DISCOVEKY INTO 



yet young, I felt compelled to encamp here for the sake of the horses, 

 several of whom had fallen during the moraing from absolute weakness, 

 From one of these, who had thus fallen, and had staked himself badly 

 in his ineffectual struggles to rise, a rough piece of dead wood was 

 extracted 4 J inches long and three-quarters of an inch in diameter. 



Amongst the changes perceptible hereabouts, we observed a greater 

 variety than heretofore in the nature and qualities of the soil, which, 

 from a general light sandy character amongst the salt lakes and sam- 

 phire marshes, had now become more clayey and loamy, and altogether 

 of a better description. It was also satisfactory to find that we were 

 traversing a country capable of retaining fresh water at its surface, since 

 so little rain had fallen of late ; we found the granite rocks were no 

 longer to be so fully relied upon as formerly, for those supplies which 

 we had hitherto chiefly depended on procuring from them. As we 

 advanced eastward next day, the countiy was found more undulating, 

 and occasionally broken into large granite sheets, round one of which, 

 near our last camp,. was some good grass; but the general surface con- 

 tinued densely thick, and sorely tried our wearied and exhausted ani- 

 mals, for whom I greatly wished to procure a few days* rest and good 

 feed. At the eud of thirteen miles they could go no further, and I was 

 compelled to halt them once more in the tall scrub, with nothing better 

 than rushes, and without any water, nor did we prove successful in 

 procuring any of the latter by digging. Climbing a granite ridge im- 

 mediately over our camp, I looked out with much anxiety over the de- 

 solate space of not more than twenty miles, which still lay between us 

 and Russell Range, and turned over in my mind a list, far too long, 

 of those horses which I feared would never have strength to reach it. 

 Granite hills were abundant to the southward, within the same dis- 

 tance, but I cared nothing for them at the time; and to the north the 

 interminable frowning scrubs presented an aspect anything but cheer- 

 ing. The only relief appeared in a small granite hill, sixteen long 

 miles to the east ; and as it was in the direction of our intended route, 

 I launched out for it early next morning, relying on a kind Providence 

 for aid, and on the unsubdued spirit and energy of my little party. 

 The poor horses staggered up to their saddling with a despondency 

 and aspect which seemed to upbraid us with tlieir treatment, and I 

 felt glad to escape from the misgivings which their appearance created 

 by commencing the toils of the journey. I should most gladly have 



