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.
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