CH. II.] LUXURY OF WATER AFTER PRIVATION. 169 



AjJril 10. — I went forward fprimd luce J, and soon gained 

 a low ridge, the rocky points of which had obhged me to keep 

 to the valley in seeking for water the preceding evening. 

 From this ridge, I had the satisfaction of following with my 

 eye into the far distant level country, a continuous valley, 

 the apparent outlet or channel of all these mountain torrents, 

 and Avhich, I had no doubt, contained water. Having 

 marked out the best passage I could find, to this point for 

 the bullock teams, I descended to the valley before me, and, 

 after following it about four miles, the hollows in the dry bed 

 of the rivulet appeared moist. 



At two miles further, I found water in the crevices of a 

 rock, and a little lower still, abundance for the cattle in a 

 large pond. After watering my thirsty horse, I galloped 

 back with the encouraging tidings to the party, and by 

 eleven o'clock we had encamped beside the water, with the 

 agreeable certainty of obtaining breakfast, and with excellent 

 appetites for it. 



We had passed through vallies, on first descending from 

 the mountains, where the yellow oat-grass (or antkistirici), 

 resembled a ripe crop of grain. But this resemblance to the 

 emblem of plenty, made the desolation of these hopeless soli- 

 tudes only the more apparent, abandoned as they then were, 

 alike by man, beast, and bird. No living thing remained in 

 these vallies, for water, that element, so essential to life, was 

 a want too obvious in the dismal silence, (for not an insect 

 hummed), and the yellow hues of withering vegetation. 



We had, at length, emerged from these arid valleys, and 

 entered upon an open and more promising country. Our 

 boats and heavily leaden carts had crossed all the mountains 

 in our way, without any accident, and we had water in 

 abundance. 



It is on occasions such as these, that the adventurer has 

 intervals of enjoyment, which amply reward him for 

 laborious days of hardship and privation. The sense of gra- 

 tification and repose, is intense, in such extreme cases, and 



