composed of a kind of decomposed lime, very light and loose, which
yielded to the slightest pressure; in this our horses and drays sank
deep, throwing out as they went, clouds of fine white dust on every side
around them. This, added to the very fatiguing and harassing work of
dragging the dray through the thick scrub and over the heavy sand ridges,
almost knocked them up, and we had the sad prospect before us of
encamping at night without a blade of grass for them to eat. Just at this
juncture the native boy who was with me, said he saw rocks in one of the
distant sand hills, but upon examining the place with a telescope I could
not make out distinctly whether they were rocks or only sand. The boy
however persisted that there were rocks, and to settle the point I halted
the dray in camp, whilst I proceeded with him to the spot to look.

At seven miles W. 10 degrees S. of the drays we reached the ridge, and to
my great delight I found the boy was right; he had seen the bare sheets
of granite peeping out near the summit of a sandy elevation, and in these
we found many holes with water in them. At the base of the hill too, was
an opening with good grass around, and a fine spring of pure water.
Hastening back to the dray, I conducted the party to the hills, which I
named Refuge Rocks, for such they were to us in our difficulties, and
such they may be to many future travellers who may have to cross this
dreary desert.

From the nature of the road and the exhausted state of our horses, it was
very late when we encamped, but as the position was so favourable a one
to recruit at, I determined to take advantage of it, and remain a couple
of days for that purpose.

September 23.--Leaving my party to rest, after the fatigue they had
endured in forcing a way through the scrub, I set off after breakfast to