TORRENTS OF RAIN.
During the early part of the day the rain fell in torrents; but, as it cleared off a little soon after our arrival, we started in a north-westerly direction.

Such violent storms of thunder, lightning, and rain set in when we had made about two or three miles that I was again obliged to halt; and as it continued to rain heavily throughout the night, our situation, which was already bad, might now be said to be hourly growing worse; and it can readily be conceived that, between rheumatism in my wounded limb, lying in water, and vexation at the constant difficulties we experienced, I was too much harassed to be able to sleep.
SWAMPS.
The continued rain during the night had necessarily rendered the marsh far more impracticable than before; but, as no other route to the southward could be found on account of the river which lay upon either hand, I was compelled to wait until the ground again in some measure dried.

But it would have been equally as impossible to beat a retreat as it was to get forward, for we were in a manner surrounded by swampy land, and when the loads were placed upon the ponies they sank nearly up to the shoulders in a bog in whichever direction we attempted to move; but as our present position would have been unsafe in the event of an extensive inundation taking place I judged it necessary at all events to reach a somewhat elevated outlying hill of sandstone which was distant about two miles.

This point we succeeded at last in gaining, although not without severely injuring and straining some of the ponies in effecting it.

This rising ground was however well situated for our camp under present circumstances: it was composed of porous sandstone, which in these climates dries almost immediately after rain.