RECOVER THE TIRED HORSE. 
235 
The natives still appeared to be in our neigh- 
bourhood, but none had been near us since they 
first left on the 19th. I would now gladly have 
got one of them to accompany me to look for water, 
but none could be found. On the 26th and 27th I was 
occupied in getting up the cart, some casks, &c. from 
the cutter, and preparing for another attempt to round 
the head of the Great Bight. The vessel then sailed 
for Denial Bay, where she could lie in greater safety, 
until I required her again. 
Early on the 27th the man and black boy re- 
turned with the dray from the westward, they had 
found the horse very weak and much exhausted, but 
by care and attention he was got a little round, and 
the overseer had remained to bring him slowly on ; 
he had been four entire days and nights without 
food or water, and for the first two days and a half 
of this time had been severely worked. In the 
evening the overseer came up, driving the jaded 
animal, somewhat recovered indeed — but miserably 
reduced in condition. 
The party with the dray had taken spades with 
them to dig for water at the sand hills, where I 
had seen the pigeons and cockatoos on the 23rd, 
and at ten feet they had been lucky enough to pro- 
cure abundance, which although of a brackish qua- 
lity was usable ; from the great depth, however, 
at which it was obtained, and the precarious nature 
of the soil, it was very troublesome to get at it. 
November 28. — This morning I sent away a dray 
