GO BACK FOR WATER. 
241 
water ; having measured out to the man, water 
amounting to a quart per day, during our contem- 
plated absence, I gave all that was left, consisting of 
about half a bucket full, to the mare, and then 
accompanied by the boy, pushed steadily back 
towards the water at the sand hills, distant about 
twenty-five miles. At dark we arrived there, but 
the sand had fallen in, and we had to labour hard to 
clear out the hole again ; it was eleven o’clock at 
night before we could get the horses watered, and 
we then had to take them a mile and a half before 
we could get any grass for them. Returning from 
this duty, we had to collect and carry on our backs 
for more than a mile, a few bundles of sticks and 
bushes, to make a little fire for ourselves, near the 
water, the night being intensely cold. It was past 
two o’clock in the morning before we could lay 
down, and then, tired and harassed as we were, it 
was too cold and damp for us to rest. 
December 3. — The scorching rays of the morning 
sun awoke us early, weary and unrefreshed, we had 
no trees to shade us, and were obliged to get up. 
After looking at the well, and congratulating our- 
selves upon its not having fallen in, we set off* to 
look for the horses, they had wandered away in 
search of food, causing us a long and tiresome 
walk over the sand-hills in the sun, before we could 
find them ; having at last got them and driven them 
to where the water was, we were chagrined to find 
that during our absence the well had again fallen in, 
VOL. I. R 
