358 
VIEW FROM SAND-HILL. 
sandy looking cones. We hoped that these might 
be the sand-hills we were pushing for, and our 
hearts beat high with hope once more. It, however, 
soon become too dark to discern anything, and at 
fourteen miles from where we had halted in the 
morning, we were again obliged by the tide to 
encamp for the night, as the country behind the 
shore was densely scrubby, and quite impracticable 
as a line of route. It was nine o’clock when we 
halted, and we were all very tired, and our feet 
somewhat inflamed, from getting so frequently wet 
with the salt water, whilst endeavouring to keep the 
horses from it ; there was no grass but the coarse 
wiry kind that bound the sand together, of this the 
poor animals cropped a little, as a very heavy dew 
fell, and served to moisten it. As usual, the overseer 
and myself kept watch upon the horses at night, 
whilst the natives enjoyed their undisturbed repose. 
Two of the boys were young, and none of the three 
had their frame and muscles sufficiently developed 
to enable them to undergo the fatigue of walking 
during the day if deprived of their rest at night ; 
still the duty became very hard upon two persons, 
where it was of constant occurrence, and superadded 
to the ordinary day’s labour. 
March 29. — After calling up the party, I ascended 
the highest sand-hill near me, from which the pros- 
pect was cheerless and gloomy, and the point and 
sandy cones we imagined we had seen last night 
had vanished. Indeed, upon examining the chart, 
