203 
Interior of New Holland. 
his return had the strongest of the cattle collected; and at 6 p.m., 
with Flood and Mark, started myself, with a fresh supply of 
water, for the men at the drays. The sheep, unable to keep pace 
with Mr. Poole, had followed the cattle tracks, and were at this 
time safe. At 9 p.m., on the last day of the year 1844, we 
rounded up the cattle once more on a plain, and kindled a line of 
fire round them : we patiently waited the appearance of the moon, 
but she rose amidst heavy clouds, and it was midnight before we 
could push on. We reached the drays at 9 a.m. of the 1st of 
January, and I found that the men had already begun to despond; 
however, they made up for this forgetfulness of themselves by 
subsequent exertions ; and redeemed their character by their 
efforts to get the drays out of the hobble in which they were. 
Having seen them start, and being satisfied that the animals 
would be sufficiently strong to pull them out of the forest, I rode 
on in advance, being anxious to regain the creek. The fearful 
nature of the day, obliged us to walk the horses; nor do I re¬ 
member, during the subsequent periods of this trying and doubtful 
journey, much as we were afterwards exposed, having suffered 
as I did on this occasion. The drays did not come up till the 
following morning, when it became necessary to rest the animals 
before they were sent for the remainder. An extract from my 
journal of that date will perhaps give the reader a better idea of 
our position at that time than anything I can say : “ Thursday, 
Jan. 2. The drays reached the creek at 3 this morning—both men 
and bullocks worn out. 1 had hoped that they would have got 
out of the pinery before sunset yesterday, but they did not. The 
men assure me the sand was so insufferably hot that the poor 
animals could not endure it. The men had the upper leather of 
their shoes burst as if by fire, and Lewis had his back most 
severely blistered. The dogs lost all the skin off the soles of 
their feet, and followed the team with difficulty. Oue of them, 
old Fingal, has remained behind to perish.” He was found 
dead on the track on the 4th, when I sent Flood for the 
remainder of the drays. The water in the lagoon, at which 
we halted, was very bad, and to it Mr. Browne and Mr. Poole 
attributed the indisposition under which both laboured at 
