266 
Captain Sturt’s Expedition into the 
extreme anxiety to persuade us that there was no water in any 
other. However, I persevered in my course, and on reaching the 
extremity of the plain, came upon two huts, before which some 
little urchins were playing, who bolted under cover the moment 
they saw us. Here then was the cause of uneasiness manifested 
by the women ; but their children were in no danger from us, we 
would not have harmed a hair of their heads. Near the huts 
there was a pool of water, but it contained so little that I searched 
the neighbourhood before I decided on stopping at it for the night 
—so loath was I to deprive the poor natives of it; but I could 
find none elsewhere, and one of my men being ill I was obliged to 
pull up. The women soon afterwards came to the huts, at which 
there was also a very old man. In the afternoon the lord of the 
manor made his appearance. He was splendidly painted, and 
was armed with spear and helemar, and was exceeding wrath at 
our having taken possession of his water-hole. He ordered us 
away ; and told us that he would go and rouse his tribe and kill 
us all; but seeing, I suppose, that his threats made no impression 
he sat down and sulked. I admired his courage however, and 
after giving him time to cool, went to make him a present from 
the camp, to which I had returned, but he had left his habitation 
with all his tribe, and we saw no more of him. In the morning 
our horses drained the little pool, and we pursued our journey 
through an open box-tree forest, with grass. There were some 
extensive grassy plains upon our right, and there was an improve¬ 
ment in the country, that was an earnest of something better. 
But whatever hopes we encouraged were speedily destroyed. We 
soon broke through the forest, and saw a wall of sand before us. 
Again we ascended and toiled over successive ridges, higher and 
more formidable than any we had encountered; and over the 
steep points of which our horses could hardly draw the cart. At 
20 miles we halted in a little valley, in which there was some 
grass, but no water ; but Mr. Browne fortunately discovered a 
glimmering light in a valley at some distance from the summit of 
a ridge, and going down to it found water, but it was too late to 
move down with the men. 
In the morning, however, we had our wants early relieved, and 
