86 
CHAIN OF SALT PONDS. 
through, and made our journey cold and miserable. 
After travelling a short distance we lost all symp- 
toms of grass, and the country was again sandy and 
barren, and covered with shrubs and heathy plants. 
In this region we passed two native women and a 
boy, within gun-shot of us ; but as they were so in- 
tent upon their occupation of digging roots, and 
did not notice us, I was unwilling to alarm them, 
and we passed silently by. At six miles we came 
to a fine deep hole of excellent water about thirty 
yards in circumference. It was situated in a narrow, 
short, but steep and rocky gorge, and is, I think, 
permanent. Four miles beyond this we crossed a 
chain of salt ponds, trending seawards, towards an 
apparent gap in the coast-line ; and six miles further 
another. Upon the latter we halted for the night, 
as there was good grass for the horses, and brackish 
water was procurable a little way up the stream, 
where it divided into branches. The constant tra- 
velling in the wet for the last few days began now to 
affect our limbs considerably, and upon halting at 
nights we found our feet always much swollen, 
and our legs generally stiff and cramped. 
June 22.-- A very heavy dew fell in the night, 
and we were again condemned to wade for three 
hours up to our middle among the wet brush ; after 
which the day became fine, and we got our clothes 
dried. Travelling for two and a half miles, we 
crossed another small brackish chain of ponds, and 
then ascending rather higher ground, obtained a 
