The natives themselves are never at a loss for that indeed precious article, water.

They sometimes procure it by digging up the lateral roots of the small gumtree, a dusty and fatiguing operation: they break them off in short bits, and set them up to drain into a piece of bark or a large shell.

By tapping also the knotty excrescences of trees they find the fluid, which they suck out.

Many of these modes of obtaining water are of course known to experienced bushmen, like Mr.
Eyre, whose deeply interesting narrative of his hardships and perils has already enlisted the sympathy of the public.
September 12.
We moved the ship into Port Darwin, anchoring just within the eastern cliffy head which, to commemorate Lieutenant Emery's success in finding water by digging, we named after him.
SURVEY OF THE HARBOUR.
All the surveying force was now put in instant requisition; Captain Wickham went to examine an opening in the coast mentioned by Captain King, lying about twelve miles further to the westward, whilst the other boats explored the openings at the head of the harbour.
That on the eastern part, Mr.Fitzmaurice traced ten miles in a south-easterly direction, being the greatest distance it was navigable for a boat.

The remaining branch in the large opening, in the south-eastern corner of the harbour, Mr.Forsyth and myself explored South-South-East three miles, and South-South-West five more, the extent to which it was possible to advance.