DELUSIONS OF THE MIRAGE 163 



possible due north, urged now by the actual pangs of thirst. 

 At three o'clock in the afternoon we found a mud-hole with- 

 out a drop of water in it. By digging here we obtained a 

 brackish fluid which was just drinkable. The horses drank 

 it eagerly enough that night, but would not touch it in the 

 morning. 



The country was still a plain with a few hills on it at 

 long intervals apart ; but in front of us could be seen what 

 was thought to be a range of considerable height. Water 

 is nearly always present in or at the foot of mountains, 

 and we pressed on eagerly the next day, anxious to reach 

 the shade of these lonely rocks in a dry land. As we 

 advanced it was noticed that the mountains did not seem 

 to come nearer, and hopes were for a short time indulged 

 that we had really discovered an important and hitherto 

 unknown range ; but when dense forests and a lake of 

 large dimensions began to rise above the plain, the word 

 " Mirage " simultaneously sprang from the lips of myself 

 and Hamblin, and as the sun began to sink towards the 

 west, mountains, forests, and lake disappeared as suddenly 

 as they had come into view. 



Early on the afternoon of this day the horses became 

 so exhausted, especially the pack-animals, that a halt 

 became imperatively necessary. Two of the riding animals 

 being still serviceable, Hamblin and I rode round the 

 country while the blacks made a fire, hobbled the horses, 

 and prepared the evening meal. 



We were at this time, I suppose, somewhere near Mount 

 Carrall or Mount Burgess ; but neither of those peaks were 

 visible, or at least recognised. Half a dozen conical hills 

 were in sight, having curious wall-like cliffs, near their sum- 

 mits, but none of them were of sufficient elevation to merit 

 the name of Mounts. They were almost destitute of 

 vegetation, with one exception, which was covered with 

 scattered bushes and a few trees. 



There are two species of wallaby on these plains. The 

 hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes leporoides), described in Chapter 

 VII., is by far the most abundant, and is found in parties 

 of fifty to seventy, each party seeming to inhabit exclusively 



