VAIN SEARCH FOR WATER. 
239 
very problematical whether water could be procured 
within any distance attainable by our tired horses. 
The natives now asserted there was water to the 
north-west, but that it was a long way off. As they 
still seemed willing to accompany us, I determined 
to proceed, and pushed on parallel with the coast 
behind the front ridges; at nine miles the horses 
were quite exhausted, and could get no further, so 
that I was obliged to halt for the night, where a 
few tufts of withered grass were found under the 
hummocks. 
Our sable friends had gradually dropped off, one 
or two at a time, until only three remained. These 
I endeavoured to make friends with, by giving them 
plenty of water and bread, and after taking a hasty 
meal, I got them to go with me and the native boy 
along the coast, to search for water. After going 
about a mile, they would proceed no further, making 
signs that they should be very thirsty, and enabling 
me clearly to comprehend, that there was no water 
until the head of the Great Bight was rounded. 
As I did not know exactly, what the actual distance 
might be, I still hoped I should be able to reach it, 
and leaving the natives to return, I and the boy 
pushed on beyond all the sandy hills and cliffs, to 
the low sandy tract bordering upon the head of the 
Bight, from which we were about twelve miles 
distant. The day was hazy, or the cliffs of the Great 
Bight would have been distinctly visible. 
We lost a good deal of time in tracking the foot- 
