The Horses Are Too Much
Reduced To Endure Rainy Weather, Even If The Loose Soil Of The Country
Would Permit Us To Travel Over It.
June 8.
- During the night there was light rain. At daylight sent out in
search of water, but all our efforts proved unsuccessful. Peel's range
being the nearest high land, I determined to search the base of it, in
hopes of finding water, since it was impossible that either men or
horses could long endure this almost constant privation of the first
necessary of life. I accordingly set off towards the range, but was
prevented from making it by impenetrable scrubs: we then returned to the
range a little to the west of the tent, whence we could see a
considerable distance to the west and north-west; it is impossible to
imagine a prospect more desolate. The whole country in these directions,
as far as the eye could reach, was one continued thicket of eucalyptus
scrub: it was physically impossible to proceed that way, and our
situation was too critical to admit of delay; it was therefore resolved
to return back to our last station on the 6th under Peel's range, if for
no other purpose than that of giving the horses water. I felt that by
attempting to proceed westerly I should endanger the safety of every man
composing the expedition, without any practical good arising from such
perseverance: it was therefore deemed more prudent to keep along the
base of Peel's range to its termination, having some chance of finding
water in its rocky ravines, whilst there was none at all in attempting
to keep the level country. It was too late to pursue this resolution
this evening.
June 9. - During the night heavy rain. At eight o'clock set off on our
return to our halting-place of the 6th, the horses having been now
forty-eight hours without water. We had scarcely proceeded a mile when
it began to rain hard, and continued to do so without intermission until
we stopped at the place where water had been previously found: it was by
this time two o'clock, the horses failed, and the people were in little
better condition, not having tasted any thing since the evening before.
All our clothes were wet through, a circumstance which added greatly to
the unpleasantness of our situation.
The true nature of the soil was fully developed by this day's rain.
Being in dry weather a loose light sand without any apparent
consistency, it was now discovered to have a small portion of loam mixed
with it, which, without having the tenacity of clay, is sufficient to
render it slimy and boggy: I am quite satisfied that two days' rain will
at any time render this country impassable. The mortification and
distress of mind I felt at being obliged to take a retrograde direction
was heightened by seeing the horses struggling under loads far beyond
their present powers, their labour rendered still more trying by the
miserable country they were obliged to pass through.
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