Interior of New Holland. 
351 
Browne that if we remained at the dep&t many days longer we 
should lose all water on our way back. Sending a dray with 
some casks to meet Morgan and Mark, I next desired Flood to 
go to the muddy water-hole and creek, at which, it will be re¬ 
membered, we had stopped on breaking through the pine forest— 
distant more than forty miles, but in which I had little hope that 
any water now remained. Nor was he fortunate on this occa¬ 
sion. It had long been dry. On his return he said there was 
not a vestige of moisture in it. I then sent him to the eastward, 
thinking that I might work my way round; but he returned 
equally unsuccessful from that quarter. The country was all dry; 
and indeed the state of it was sufficient to prove this. A com¬ 
plete check had been given to the growth of vegetation by the 
long absence of rain. Where herbs and grasses had at the same 
season on the former year been ripening for seed, not a blade of 
anything had, this year, sprung from the ground : and where the 
creeks teemed with animal life before, and the plains were covered 
with pigeons, then breeding, not a living creature was now to be 
seen. The heat increased upon us every day ; a heavy gale was 
constantly blowing; and the air was filled with fine impalpable 
dust that gave the atmosphere a lurid appearance; and our 
matches falling on the ground, immediately took fire. It appeared 
that we should have to give up all hopes of escape ; but despair, 
I believe, lent energy to our thoughts, and after long deliberation 
Mr. Browne and 1 hit on a plan, by which we trusted to open 
the door to our escape—we proposed to kill a bullock and to 
fill his hide with water. To send this supply in a bullock dray as 
far as it was possible on the road to Flood’s Creek, and there to 
leave it. It was next arranged that Mr. Browne should take the 
cart with 36 gallons of water, and using that in the bullock hide, 
should go on as far as he could with the cart. Supposing that 
the bullocks took their load thirty miles farther, there would be a 
distance of little more than fifty miles for him to travel to the 
creek. We agreed, therefore, that when he abandoned the cart 
he should give his horse half the water he might possess, and then 
ride the remainder of the way, leaving a supply of water for his 
return. It appeared to us both that there would be no danger 
