Water; at night we encamped near them, and our unfortunate
horses were again obliged to be tied up for the second time without
either grass or water.
November 24. - Finding that there was little prospect of procuring water
a-head, and that our horses were scarcely able to move at all, I felt it
necessary to retrace our steps as speedily as possible, to try to save
the lives of the animals we had with us. In order that we might effect
this and be encumbered by no unnecessary articles, I concealed, and left
among some bushes, all our baggage, pack-saddles, etc. After passing about
five miles beyond the sand-drifts where I had seen the cockatoos and
pigeons, one of the horses became completely exhausted and could not
proceed any further; I was necessitated therefore to tie him to a bush
and push on with the other two to save them.
When I left my party on the 22nd, I had directed them to remove to some
water-holes behind Point Fowler, but, as I had not seen this place
myself, I was obliged to steer in the dark in some measure at random, not
knowing exactly where they were. The greatest part of our route being
through a dense brush, we received many scratches and bruises from the
boughs as we led our horses along, to say nothing of the danger we were
constantly in of having our eyes put out by branches we could not see,
and which frequently brought us to a stand still by painful blows across
the face.
