DESERT COUNTRY. 
13 
of their hobbles so tight, that they could not go far ; 
having thus secured them, we lay down, and for a 
few hours enjoyed uninterrupted and refreshing 
sleep. 
Moving on again on the 1st of May, as the sun 
was above the horizon, we passed through a con- 
tinuation of the same kind of country, for sixteen 
miles, and then halted for a few hours during the 
heat of the day. We had passed many recent traces 
of natives both yesterday and to-day, who appeared 
to be travelling to the westward. After dividing a 
pot of tea between us, we again pushed on for twelve 
miles, completing a stage of twenty-eight miles, and 
halting, with a little dry grass for the horses. 
It was impossible they could endure this much 
longer, they had already been five days without 
water, and I did not expect to meet with any for 
two days more, a period which I did not think they 
could survive. As yet no very great change had 
taken place in the country ; it was still scrubby and 
rocky, but the surface stone now consisted of a 
cream-coloured limestone of a fine compact character, 
and full of shells. The cliffs, parallel with which 
we were travelling, were still of about the same 
height, appearance, and formation as before, whilst 
the inland country increased in elevation, forming 
scrubby ridges to the back, with a few open grassy 
patches here and there. One circumstance in our 
route to-day cheered me greatly, and led me shortly 
to expect some important and decisive change in the 
