172 
CRITICAL SITUATION. 
is steady ; but I cannot hope to give a proper idea either of 
mirage or refraction so satisfactorily as I could wish. 
Many travellers have dwelt upon their effects, particularly 
upon those of the former, but few have attempted to ac- 
count for them. 
Our situation was one of peculiar excitement and inter- 
est. To our right the thunder of the heavy surf, that al- 
most shook the ground beneath us, broke with increasing 
roar upon our ears ; to our left the voice of the natives 
echoed through the brush, and the size of their fires at 
the extremity of the channel, seemed to indicate the alarm 
our appearance had occasioned. 
While the men were enjoying their cockles, a large ket- 
tle of which they had boiled, M'Leay and I were anxiously 
employed in examining the state of our provisions, and in 
ascertaining what still remained. Flour and tea were the 
only articles we had left, so that the task was not a difficult 
one. It appeared that we had not sufficient of either to 
last us to Pondebadgery, at which place we expected to 
find supplies ; and, taking every thing into consideration, 
our circumstances were really critical. 
The first view of Encounter Bay had convinced me that 
no vessel would ever venture into it at a season when the 
S.W. winds prevailed. It was impossible that we could 
remain upon the coast in expectation of the relief that l 
doubted not had been hurried off for us ; since disappoint- 
ment would have sealed our fate at once. In the deep 
bight in which we were, 1 could not hope that any vessel 
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