During my absence, the overseer, according to my instructions, had put a
party of men to dig for water in the bed of the creek, about four miles
from the depot, in a westerly direction and down upon the plains. They
were busy when I arrived at the depot; the soil already dug through had
been a very hard gravel, but as yet no water had been found, they had got
to a depth of about ten feet; but from the indurated character of the
soil were proceeding very slowly.

I was, however, too much fatigued to go and inspect the work immediately,
the boy and myself as well as the horses being completely worn out. We
had ridden in the last five days and a half, about two hundred miles, and
walked about twenty up and down rocky and precipitous creeks, whilst, for
the last two nights before our arrival we had scarcely been off the
horses' back.

On the 17th, which was dreadfully hot, I went in the afternoon to see
what progress was being made at the well, and found that only two feet
had been dug in the last twenty-four hours, whilst just as I arrived the
men came to a solid mass of rock, and could sink no further; I at once
ordered them to return to the camp, as I did not think it worth while to
make further attempts in so unkindly a soil, and indeed I was unwilling
to have my little party too much divided in the neighbourhood of so many
natives. The men themselves were very glad to get back to the camp,
having been apprehensive of an attack for the last two or three days.

August 18.--This morning I sent off the overseer and a native boy to the
eastward, to look for water in the watercourses I had been at on the 5th
of August, the Scott not having then been discovered; they would now be
thirty-six miles nearer water than any I was acquainted with at that
time, and would consequently be less hurried and embarrassed in their