What a blessed
relief! In a few minutes the horses were gorged, and hard at work on the
rough grass near the holes. Hardy horses, indeed! Eight days from drink
to drink (not counting what we gave them), and hardly a scrap of feed.
We took a two days' rest for the sake of the grass, and varied our daily
fare of salt beef with small, tufted pigeons, which came in large numbers
to drink. We shot nearly one hundred of them, and ate boiled pigeon three
times a day with the voracity of black-fellows. Nor was Devil-devil
forgotten in the feast; he had become an expert rider, and had a far
better time than poor Val.
The curious fact of some rock-holes being full, whilst others a few miles
off are empty, again exemplifies the very local character of such rain as
visits these parts. The "Deep rock-holes," as we called them (in lat. 24
degrees 20 minutes, long. 127 degrees 20 minutes), are peculiar, for one
is perfectly cylindrical, two feet six inches in diameter going down
vertically to a depth of twenty feet; the other goes down straight for
six feet, and then shelves away under the rock to a depth of at least
twelve feet.
