OVERSEER DESPONDS. 355 
The country we had already passed through, pre- 
cluded all hope of our recrossing it without the 
horses to carry water for us, and without provisions 
to enable us to endure the dreadful fatigue of forced 
marches, across the desert. The country before us 
was, it is true, quite unknown, but it could hardly 
be worse than that we had traversed, and the chance 
was that it might be better. We were now pushing 
on for some sand-hills, marked down in Captain 
Flinders’ chart at about 126^° of east longitude; 
I did not expect to procure water until we reached 
these, but I felt sure we should obtain it on our 
arrival there. After this point was passed, there 
appeared to be one more long push without any 
likelihood of procuring water, as the cliffs again 
became the boundary of the ocean ; but beyond Cape 
Arid, the change in the character and appearance of 
the country, as described by Flinders, indicated the 
existence of a better and more practicable line of 
country than we had yet fallen in with. 
My overseer, however, was now unfortunately 
beginning to take up an opposite opinion, and 
though he still went through the duty devolving 
upon him with assiduity and cheerfulness, it was 
evident that his mind was ill at ease, and that he had 
many gloomy anticipations of the future. He 
fancied there were no sand-hills ahead, that we 
should never reach any water in that direction, and 
that there was little hope of saving any of the horses. 
In this latter idea I rather encouraged him than 
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