CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY, 
45 
pushed forward. We had not as yet risen any perceptible 
height above the level of the marshes, but had left the 
country subject to overflow for a considerable space behind 
us. The brushes through which we had passed were too 
sandy to retain water long, but the plains were of such 
an even surface, that they could not but continue wet 
for a considerable period after any fall of rain. They 
were covered with salsolaceous plants, without a blade 
of grass; and their soil was generally a red sandy loam. 
There were occasional patches that appeared moist, in which 
the calystemma was abundant, and these patches must, I 
should imagine, form quagmires in the wet season. 
On leaving the last-mentioned creek, we found a gently 
rising country before us ; and about three or four miles from 
it we crossed some stony ridges, covered with a new spe- 
cies of acacia so thickly as to prevent our obtaining any 
view from them. As the sun declined, we got into open 
forest ground ; and travelled forwards in momentary ex- 
pectation, from appearances, of coming in sight of water ; 
but we were obliged to pull up at sunset on the outskirts of 
a larger plain without having our expectation realized. 
The day had been extremely warm, and our animals were as 
thirsty as ourselves. Hope never forsakes the human 
breast; and thence it was that, after we had secured the 
horses, we began to wander round our lonely bivouac. It 
was almost dark, when one of my men came to inform me 
that he had found a small puddle of water, to which he had 
been led by a pigeon. 
