He was now all impatience to be off, to overtake the party who had kindled it.

Nothing could exceed his vehement impetuosity and impatience, but this was of no avail, as the natives who had probably seen our approach, kept in front of us and avoided a meeting.

We rode for five miles on our original bearing of 135 degrees to the west of north, or N.W.the direct bearing of the hill for which we were making, Coonbaralba.

At five miles Topar insisted on crossing the creek, and led us over the plains on a bearing of 157 degrees to the west of north, thus changing his purpose altogether.

He assigned as a reason that there was no water in the creek higher up, and that we must go to another place where there was some.