120 JOURNEY OF DISCOVEKY INTO 



spade, the horses were suffered to roam about the hill and pick up 

 what they could find, while I climbed to its summit for a view of the 

 surrounding countiy. Cheerless indeed was that view, and serious 

 were the apprehensions forced upon me for the safety of the whole of 

 the horses, in whose existence was likewise involved that of the party 

 placed under my charge. At the distance of only four miles, the pre- 

 cipitous mass of rock composing the Eussell Eange rose abruptly in a 

 bare, naked mass, to the height of 600 feet out of the surrounding 

 scrubby plains, and not a blade of grass or the least appearance of 

 fresh water were anywhere to be seen. Thickets and scrub, interspersed 

 with sand-plains and salt lakes, covered the face of the country, except 

 where numerous granite hills disturbed the uniformity of the southern 

 horizon, like so many bare rocky islands rising abruptly out of the sea. 

 We had observed natives* smokes rising up about this spot from a dis- 

 tance, or I should now have left all our heaviest articles and hastened 

 our dying horses on until I found both food and water for them ; but 

 not caring to run so great a risk of losing our provisions, and feeling 

 that one false move, in our critical situation, would compromise the 

 safety of the whole party, the last of the small quantity of water we 

 had carried was doled out for breakfast, and early on the morning of 

 the 23rd, the party was moving on to ascertain the worst. 



Making for the nearest part of the Eange, the bush became fortu- 

 nately more open, and freely admitted the passage of our exhausted 

 and desponding animals, who staggered along under their unequal 

 loads, as if it were the last effort they could make. Our greatest pre- 

 sent anxiety was to keep them from falling or lying down, as, when 

 once down, they were with great difficulty got on their legs again. 

 Finding, on a nearer approach to the Eange, that we had not been 

 deceived as to its utter sterility on this side, we hastened towards a 

 clump of yeit and casuarina trees at the south end ; and there, to oxnr 

 great joy, found abundance of excellent grass in a small thickly-wooded 

 ravine, the bottom of which was occupied by a narrow rocky water- 

 course. Here the party were immediately encamped ; the horses re- 

 quired no bidding to feed after their long abstinence ; and while one 

 party was despatched round the east side of the Eange, in search of 

 water, another plied the spade in those spots giving most promise of 

 it. Leaving one man to keep the camp, I then followed up the water- 

 course in the ravine: this however proved most unprofitable, and. 



