EXHAUSTED STATE OF THE HORSES. 271 
yet such have I frequently observed to be the case, 
and especially on those occasions where they have 
least food. It would seem that, accustomed gene- 
rally to have the stomach distended after meals, they 
endeavour to produce this effect with water, when 
deprived of the opportunity of doing so with more 
solid substances. At night the natives all encamped 
with us in the plain. 
January 2. — Having watered the horses early, 
we left the encampment, accompanied by some of 
the natives, to push once more to the north-west. 
On the dray we had eighty -five gallons of water ; 
but as we had left all our hour, and some other 
articles, I hoped we should get on well. The heavy 
nature of the road, however, again told severely upon 
the horses : twice we had to unload the dray, and 
at last, after travelling only fourteen miles, the 
horses could go no further; 1 was obliged, there- 
fore, to come to a halt, and decide what was best to 
be done. There appeared to be a disastrous fatality 
attending all our movements in this wretched region, 
which was quite inexplicable. Every time that we 
had attempted to force a passage through it, we had 
been baffled and driven back. Twice I had been 
obliged to abandon our horses before ; and on the 
last of these occasions had incurred a loss of the 
three best of them ; now, after giving them a long 
period of rest, and respite from labour, and after 
taking every precaution which prudence or expe- 
rience could suggest, I had the mortification of find- 
