CHAPTER XVII. 
HORSES BEGIN TO KNOCK UP — COMPELLED TO FOLLOW 
ROUND THE BEACH TIMOR PONY UNABLE TO PROCEED — 
GLOOMY PROSPECTS — OVERSEER BEGINS TO DESPOND — 
TWO MORE HORSES LEFT BEHIND FRAGMENTS OF 
WRECKS WATER ALL CONSUMED COLLECT DEW — 
CHANGE IN CHARACTER OF COUNTRY— DIG A WELL — PRO- 
CURE WATER — NATIVE AND FAMILY VISIT US — OVERSEER 
GOES BACK FOR BAGGAGE — DISASTROUS TERMINATION OF 
HIS JOURNEY — SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF THE PARTY. 
March 28 . — At daylight we moved on, every 
one walking, even the youngest boy could not ride 
now, as the horses were so weak and jaded. Soon 
after leaving the camp, one of them laid down, 
although the weight upon his back was very light ; 
we were consequently obliged to distribute the few 
things he carried among the others, and let him 
follow loose. Our route lay along the beach, as the 
dense scrub inland prevented us from following any 
other course ; we had, therefore, to go far out of our 
way, tracing round every point, and following along 
every bay, whilst the sea-weed frequently obstructed 
our path, and drove us again to the loose sands, 
above high water mark, causing extra fatigue to our 
unfortunate horses. At other times we were forced 
to go between these banks of sea-weed and the sea, 
