Our situation required most serious consideration.

It was necessary that we should move either backward or forward in the morning.
Yet we could not adopt either measure with satisfaction to ourselves, under such unfavorable circumstances.

I determined to relieve my own mind by getting the animals into a place of safety, as soon as possible; and, as the only effectual way of doing this was to retire upon the nearest fresh water, I resolved at once to do so.

The party turned back on the morning of the 6th; nor do I think the cattle would ever have reached their destination had we not found a few buckets of rain water in the cleft of a rock, to refresh them.

Thus it will appear that under our most trying circumstances, we received aid from Providence, and that the bounty of Heaven was extended towards us, when we had least reason to expect it.
Notwithstanding we had been thus forced to a partial retreat, both Mr.Hume and myself were unwilling to quit the pursuit of the river, in so unsatisfactory a manner.