All the surface water left by the July rain had entirely disappeared, and what now remained even in the creeks was muddy and thick.

It was indeed at the best most disgusting beverage, nor would boiling cause any great sediment.

Every here and there, as we travelled along, we passed some holes scooped out by the natives to catch rain, and in some of these there was still a muddy residuum; we moreover observed that the inhabitants of this desert made these holes in places the best adapted to their purpose, where if the slightest shower occurred, the water falling on hard clay would necessarily run into them.
The circumstances under which we halted in the evening of the 31st of August were very embarrassing.

It was evident that the country into which we were now advancing, was drier and more difficult than the country we had left behind.

It was impossible, indeed, to hope that the animals would get on, if it should continue as we had found it thus far.