394 
DETERMINE TO PROCEED. 
overseer and one native to the beach, to try to get a 
sting-ray, and to the other I gave my gun to shoot 
wall ab ie : no fish was procured, but one wallabie 
was got, half of which I gave to the native who 
killed it, for his dinner. 
Being determined to break up camp on the 27th, 
I sent the King George’s Sound native on a-head, as 
soon as he had breakfasted, that, by preceding the 
party, he might have time to spear a sting-ray 
against we overtook him. The day was dull, cloudy, 
and warm, and still looking likely for rain, with the 
wind at north-east. At eleven we were ready, and 
moved away from a place where we had experienced 
so much relief in our extremity, and at which our 
necessities had compelled us to remain so long. For 
twenty-eight days we had been encamped at the 
sand-drifts, or at the first water we had found, five 
miles from them. Daily, almost hourly, had the sky 
threatened rain, and yet none fell. We had now 
entered upon the last fearful push, which was to de- 
cide our fate. This one stretch of bad country 
crossed, I felt a conviction we should be safe. That 
we had at least 150 miles to go to the next water I was 
fully assured of ; I was equally satisfied that our 
horses were by no means in a condition to encounter 
the hardships and privations they must meet with in 
such a journey ; for though they had had a long 
rest, and in some degree recovered from their former 
tired-out condition, they had not picked up in flesh 
or regained their spirits ; the sapless, withered state 
