Interior of New Holland. 
261 
returning to meet us, when we should have finished our labours, 
and I watched the party as it left the camp as long as it con¬ 
tinued in sight. The events of the day had made it too late for 
me to move; besides I had told Mr. Browne that I would wait 
for his return, so that I remained stationary. On the 17th the 
horses, which had always been at hand, were nowhere to be 
found, and caused a temporary delay; nor had I cleared the 
creek when Mr. Browne overtook me, and I learnt from him, 
with real satisfaction, that he had left Mr. Poole tranquil and 
reconciled to his return, and that he had every hope of him. 
I now sent on a light party with Mr. Piesse and Mr. Stuart to 
continue the chaining, so as not to cause delay, and we moved 
on ; but the ground was so heavy that I only gained five miles. 
It was dark, but Mr. Browne and I were still up, when we heard 
a horseman approaching the tents. He stopped at that of our 
servant, and asked if I was in bed, he was informed that I was 
not; and in turn was asked what had brought him back—for it 
was the lad I had sent to wait personally on Mr. Poole—“ Why 
(he replied) Mr. Poole is dead.” Mr. Browne and I started on 
our feet; and on enquiring learnt that he had died suddenly at 
3 p. m. that same afternoon, and it was clear, on a view of his 
features, that internal hemmorrhage had been the sudden and 
immediate cause of his death. This melancholy event checked 
my advance. I resolved on depositing Mr. Poole’s remains at 
the Dep&t, for which purpose I recalled the chainers, and once 
more collected the party. The mournful ceremony of his inter¬ 
ment was a fitting close to our sojourn, at a spot which, on 
looking back to it, bears not one single pleasing recollection. 
Mr. Poole’s death obliged me to nominate Mr. Piesse to the 
charge of the home returning party, with whom I reluctantly 
parted, for a more zealous, anxious, and careful person could not 
have been employed by me, or one to whose rigid attention to 
the stores, and earnest desire to make himself useful, I was more 
indebted. The two parties separated at Mr. Poole’s grave—the 
one turned its back upon the desert, the other advanced still 
further into it. The valleys from the hills soon opened out into 
plains, as we increased our distance from them ; and on the 
