Time
before I could induce the man to follow our example, either by persuasion
or threats; his courage had failed him, and he lay moaning like a child.
At last I succeeded in getting him to strip and bathe, and he at once
found the benefit of it, becoming in a short time comparatively cool and
comfortable. We then each had a little more tea, and afterwards attempted
to dig for water among the sand-hills. The sand, however, was so loose,
that it ran in faster than we could throw it out, and we were obliged to
give up the attempt.
As the afternoon was far advanced, we saddled the horses, and pushed on
again for five miles, hoping, but in vain, to find a little grass. At
night we halted among the sandy ridges behind the seashore, and after
giving the horses four quarts of oats and a bucket of water a-piece, we
were obliged to tie them up, there not being a blade of grass anywhere
about. The wind at night changed to the south-west, and was very cold,
chilling us almost as much as the previous heat had oppressed us. These
sudden and excessive changes in temperature induce great susceptibility
in the system, and expose the traveller to frequent heats and chills that
cannot be otherwise than injurious to the constitution.
January 7. - Having concealed some water, provisions, and the pack-saddle
at the camp, I sent the man back with the pack-horse to encamp at the
undulating plains, where nine gallons of water had been left for him and
his horse, and the following day he was to rejoin the overseer at the
sand hills.
To the latter I sent a note, requesting him to send two fresh horses to
meet me at the plains on the 15th of January, for, from the weak
condition of the animals we had with us, and from the almost total
absence of grass for them, I could not but dread lest we might be obliged
to abandon them too, and in this case, if we did not succeed in finding
water, we should perhaps have great difficulty in returning ourselves.
As soon as the man was gone, we once more moved on to the north-west,
through the same barren region of heavy sandy ridges, entirely destitute
of grass or timber. After travelling through this for ten miles, we came
upon a native pathway, and following it under the hummocks of the coast
for eight miles, lost it at some bare sand-drifts, close to the head of
the Great Bight, where we had at last arrived, after our many former
ineffectual attempts.
Following the general direction the native pathway had taken, we ascended
the sand-drifts, and finding the recent tracks of natives, we followed
them from one sand-hill to another, until we suddenly came upon four
persons encamped by a hole dug for water in the sand.
