152 
POOLS OF WATER. 
an open grassy plain, which was visible long before 
we reached it, and which leads directly over the 
lowest or centre part of the range ; water was 
found in the holes of rock in the granite, and the 
grass around was very tolerable. Having ascer- 
tained these particulars, I hurried back to the drays 
to conduct them to a place of encampment. The 
road was very long and over a heavy sandy country, 
for the most part densely covered with scrub, 
and it was late, therefore, when we reached the hill. 
The horses, however, had good feed and fair allow- 
ance of water, but of the latter they drank every 
drop we could find. During our route to-day, I 
noticed some little distance to the north-west of our 
track, a high scrubby range, having clear grassy- 
looking openings at intervals. In this direction, it 
is probable that a better line of road might be found 
than the one we had chosen. 
September 30. — After breakfast, I ascended to the 
summit of Mount Hill, and took a set of angles ; 
whilst the dray wound up the gap between it and 
another low summit, with which it is connected. 
Upon descending the hill on the opposite side, I was 
rejoiced to find two very large pools of water in 
some granite rocks, one of them appearing to be of 
a permanent character. Here I halted for an hour 
and a half, to give the horses a little more water, 
and fill our casks again before we faced the scrubby 
waste that was still seen ahead of us. 1 had been 
last night within fifty yards of the pools that w r e 
