September 17.--Placing under the charge of the overseer, two drays, seven
of our best horses, all the sheep, one native boy, and two men, I saw him
fairly started this morning, and wished him a speedy and prosperous
journey. I had left with me one dray, five horses, one man, one native
boy, and Mr. Scott; with fourteen days provision and forty gallons of
water. Steering S. 25 degrees W. for sixteen miles, we halted for the
night upon a patch of tolerable grass but without any water; I was
consequently obliged to give a bucket of water to each of the horses out
of the small stock which we had brought with us. The country we travelled
through was low, level, and for the most part covered with salsolae, or
brush, the latter in some places being very dense, and causing great
fatigue to the horses in dragging the dray through it.

September 18.--Upon taking a view of the country, this morning, previous
to starting, it appeared so low and level, and held out so little
prospect of our finding water, that I was induced to deviate from the
course I had laid down, and steering S. 20 degrees E. made for some hills
before us. After travelling four miles upon this course, I observed a
native fire upon the hills at a bearing of S. 40 degrees E. and
immediately turned towards it, fully hoping that it was at a native camp
and in the immediate vicinity of water.

At eight miles we were close under the hills, but found the dray could
not cross the front ridges; I therefore left Mr. Scott to keep a course
parallel with the range, whilst I and the native boy rode across to where
we had seen the fire. Upon arriving at the spot I was greatly
disappointed to find, instead of a native camp, only a few burning
bushes, which had either been lit as a signal by the natives, after
noticing us in the plains, or was one of those casual fires so frequently