56 
JOURNEY CONTINUED. 
went considerable bodily fatigue in his anxiety to find some. 
He was, therefore, obliged to move early on the following 
morning, but neither men nor animals were in a condition 
to travel; and he had scarcely made three miles’ progress, 
when he stopped and endeavoured to obtain a supply of 
water by digging pits among tbe reeds. From these he had 
drawn sufficient for the wants of the people when I ar- 
rived. Some rain had fallen on the 6th and 7th of the 
month, or it is more than probable the expedient to which 
he resorted would have failed of success. Mr. Hume, I 
was sorry to observe, looked very unwell ; but nothing could 
prevent him from further endeavours to extricate the party 
from its present embarrassment. 
As soon as I had taken a little refreshment, therefore, I 
mounted a fresh horse ; and he accompanied me across a 
small plain, immediately in front of the camp, which was 
subject to overflow and covered with polygonum, having a 
considerable extent of reeds to its right. 
From the plain we entered a wood of blue-gum, in which 
reeds, grass, and brush formed a thick coppice. We at 
length passed into an open space, surrounded on every side 
by weeds in dense bodies. The great marsh bore south of 
us, and was clear and open, but behind us the blue-gum 
trees formed a thick wood above the weeds. 
About two hundred yards from the outskirts of the marsh 
there was a line of saplings that had perished, and round 
about them a number of the tern tribe (sea swallow) were 
flying, one of which Mr. Hume had followed a consider- 
