thirsty.

During the night, I released one of the poor animals for an hour or two,
thinking he would not stray from his companion, and might, perhaps, crop
a few of the little shrubs growing on the sand ridges, but on searching
for him in the morning he was gone, and I had to walk twelve miles over
the heavy sand tracking him, the boy following along our outward track
with the other horse, for fear of missing the man who was to meet us with
water.

The stray horse had fortunately kept near the line we had followed in
going to the lake, and I came upon him in a very weak and miserable
condition, soon after the arrival of the man who had been sent to meet us
with water. By care and slow travelling, we reached the depot safely in
the afternoon, having crossed in going and returning, upwards of 100
miles of desert country, during the last three days, in which the horses
had got nothing either to eat or drink. It is painful in the extreme, to
be obliged to subject them to such hardships, but alas, in such a
country, what else can be done.

In the evening, I directed the overseer to have every thing got ready for
breaking up our encampment on the morrow, as the party had been fifteen
days in depot, and little else than mud remained in the hole which had
supplied them with water.

August 25.--Slight showers during the night, and the day dark and cloudy,
with rather an oppressive atmosphere. The horses had strayed during the
night, so that it was nine o'clock before we got away.

We had scarcely left the place of encampment, when shoutings were heard,