RETURN OF THE DRAY. 
145 
September 21. — I had been occupied during the 
greater part of the day in charting, and in the even- 
ing was just shouldering my gun to mount guard 
again, when I was delighted to see Mr. Scott re- 
turning with the dray, and the party all safe. They 
had executed the duty entrusted to them well, and 
had lost no time in rejoining me ; the horses were, 
however, somewhat fatigued, having come all the 
way from the range in one day. Being now rein- 
forced, I had no longer occasion to mount guard, 
and for the first time since the natives had stolen 
upon me, enjoyed a sound sleep. 
September 22. — Moving on the party for ten 
miles at a course of S. 35° W., we passed through 
a dreadful country, composed of dense scrub and 
heavy sandy ridges, with some salt water channels 
and beds of small dry lakes at intervals. In many 
cases the margins bounding these were composed of 
a kind of decomposed lime, very light and loose, 
which yielded to the slightest pressure ; in this our 
horses and drays sank deep, throwing out as they 
went, clouds of fine white dust on every side around 
them. This, added to the very fatiguing and ha- 
rassing work of dragging the dray through the 
thick scrub and over the heavy sand ridges, almost 
knocked them up, and we had the sad prospect 
before us of encamping at night without a blade of 
grass for them to eat. Just at this juncture the 
native boy who was with me, said he saw rocks 
in one of the distant sand hills, but upon examining 
yoL, i. 
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