124 THE HEAD OF THE AUSTRALIAN BIGHT 



which we recognised several that arc known in South 

 Australia to be indicative of the worst description of 

 land. 



On the 23rd we saw four natives on a cliff looking at 

 us. Through a glass we perceived that a white-bearded 

 old man and a boy of about fourteen years were of the 

 party. Two other men had spears and throwing-sticks in 

 their hands — the old man and the boy seemed to be armed 

 with waddys (a kind of club) only. I would have liked 

 to go ashore to them ; but neither of the men would 

 accompany me, and I thought it unadvisable to go alone. 

 The blacks remained watching us for about half an hour 

 and then disappeared. Their presence is proof that water 

 must be obtainable in this country though we could not 

 find any ; and it may be mentioned that natives have 

 been seen by travellers and seamen at various points all 

 round the Great Bight, even at those places where no 

 water could be found to exist. Where do the blacks 

 obtain this prime element? 



My opinion is that ponds, or water-holes, must exist 

 at a short distance in the interior, and one of the chief 

 objects of my journey hither was to make an excursion 

 into that huge blank space, which is still found on all 

 maps of this region. This wish, when it came to the 

 crucial point, I was unable to gratify. Though Martin 

 had promised to accompany me, his courage failed him at 

 the last moment. Suyker, the Hollander, offered to go 

 with me, and we made three several attempts to penetrate 

 the scrub in a northerly direction. We never advanced 

 five miles from the coast. To walk through the scrub was 

 impossible ; and to cut a passage we found so difificult, 

 that it is certain we could not have advanced at a greater 

 rate than four or five miles a day. There was no game 

 in the country, and no water. Both would probably have 

 been found if we could have advanced a few miles ; but 

 meanwhile we should have been compelled to carry all 

 our necessaries, water included, and have worked our way 

 a yard at a time. The task was manifestly beyond the 

 strength of two men no better provided for such an under- 



