132 
REJOIN PARTY. 
of which were very stony and broken, I made 
for the Mundy, which I reached very late in the 
evening, and found the party safely encamped 
there. 
I had rode fifty-five miles, and had been on horse- 
back about thirteen hours, so that both myself and 
horse were well nigh knocked up. The black boy 
had not arrived, nor did he come up during the 
night. 
The next day, becoming uneasy about his absence, 
I detained the party in the camp, and sent Mr. Scott 
to search for him, who fortunately met him almost 
immediately he had left us. The boy’s detention 
had been occasioned by the fagged condition of his 
horse, which prevented the possibility of his over- 
taking me. As the day was wet, 1 did not move 
on, but gave the party a day’s rest, whilst I employed 
myself in meditating upon the disappointment I 
had experienced, and the future steps it might be 
most advisable to take to carry out the objects of the 
expedition. I was still determined not to give up 
the undertaking, — but rather to attempt to penetrate 
either to the eastward or westward, and to try to 
find some other line of route that might afford a 
practicable opening to the interior. 
September 6.-— Moving on the party early to-day, 
I pushed steadily towards the depot near Mount 
Arden. In doing this, the favourable state of the 
weather enabled us to keep more in the open plains, 
