SEARCH FOR OUR HORSES. 
57 
tremely thick and muddy. Upon trying it our- 
selves we found it was not usable, even after it had 
been strained twice through a handkerchief, whilst 
boiling only thickened it ; it was a deep red colour, 
from the soil, and was certainly an extraordinary 
and unpalatable mixture. 
July 8. — Our horses having strayed this morning 
I sent the native boy to look for them, but as he did 
not return in a reasonable time, I got anxious and 
went after him myself, leaving the saddles and pro- 
visions at our sleeping place. In about four miles 
I met the boy returning with the runaways, which 
had rambled for several miles, though they had 
abundance of good feed around the camp; fortu- 
nately we found every thing safe when we got back, 
but if any natives had accidentally passed that way 
we should probably have lost everything, and been 
left in very awkward predicament. 
This is a risk I have frequently been obliged to 
incur, and is one of the inconveniences resulting 
from so small a number as two travelling alone ; it 
it is not always practicable from want of grass to 
tether the horses, and frequently when they are 
tethered the ropes break, and occasion the necessity 
of both individuals leaving the encampment to 
search for them at the same time. 
Moving on to the N. W. by N. we passed 
over heavy sandy ridges, with barren red plains 
between, and in one of the latter we found a puddle 
of rain water, this upon tasting, I found to be 
