A PLAIN ON FIRE. 
43 
its commencement, ascended a tree, to ascertain if I was 
near the marshes ; when I found that I was fast receding 
from them. I concluded, therefore, that my conjecture as 
to their direction was right, and altered my course toN.W., 
a direction in which 1 had observed a dense smoke arising, 
which I supposed had been made by some natives near 
water. At the termination of the brush I crossed a 
barren sandy plain, and from it saw the smoke ascending 
at a few miles’ distance from me. Passing through a wood, 
at the extremity of the plain, I found myself at the out- 
skirts of an open space of great extent, almost wholly en- 
veloped in flames. The fire was running with incredible 
rapidity through the rhagodia shrubs with which it was 
covered. Passing quickly over it, I continued my journey 
to the N. W. over barren plains of red sandy loam of even 
surface, and bushes of cypresses skirted by acacia pendula. 
It was not until after sunset that we struck upon a creek, 
in which the water was excellent ; and we halted on its banks 
for the night, calculating our distance at twenty-nine miles 
from the camp. The creek was of considerable size, leading 
northerly. Several huts were observed by us, and from the 
heaps of muscle-shells that were scattered about, there 
could be no doubt of its being much frequented by the natives. 
The grass being fairly burnt up, our animals found but little 
to eat, but they had a tolerable journey, and did not at- 
tempt to wander in search of better food. I shot a snipe 
near the creek, much resembling the painted snipe of India j 
but I had not the 'means with me of preserving it. 
