1st October.
This morning started at 7.55 a.m., and steering north-west, in hope of
finding water, at 8.40 came on dense thickets of wattle, which extended
at least seven or eight miles farther north; we therefore turned west to
avoid them; at 9.30 changed the course to 300 degrees magnetic, and with
great difficulty forced our way for two miles to a narrow strip of open
ground; 12.40 p.m. arrived at the foot of the range of hills seen
yesterday; found them to consist of limestone and sand, covered with
thick scrub; between the hills were many nearly circular hollows filled
with thickets of wattles; although the bottoms of the hollows were at
least fifty feet below the lowest part of the ridges around them, they
were quite dry, and afforded no hope of water even by digging; the
country northward appeared even less likely to afford a supply, so much
required, as it seemed to consist wholly of limestone and loose sand,
without swamps or watercourses; the nearest spot at which we could hope
to find it in this direction was the south part of Freycinet Harbour,
distant, according to the charts, about thirty miles, and great doubt
existed of the accuracy of it in this position (error having been found
in some other parts of the coast-line); nor was it certain that we could
find water on the coast, in which case the loss of our horses would be
almost a necessary consequence, several of them showing extreme fatigue.
The circumstances of the case required a prompt decision; I therefore
ordered an immediate return towards the last spot where we had seen
water. The whole party felt convinced of the necessity of returning,
though with the greatest reluctance to do so, as it seemed to put an end
to almost every hope of reaching the Gascoyne River. We followed our
route back, and halted at 5.30 in a wattle thicket.