The small portion of muddy water in the hole was soon finished, and then by scraping it out clean we found that water began slowly to trickle into it again.

The men now laid themselves down almost in a state of stupefaction, and rested by their treasured pool.

I felt however that great calls upon my energies might still arise, and therefore, retiring a little apart with the native, I first of all returned hearty thanks to my Maker for the dangers and sufferings he had thus brought me through, and then tottered on with my gun in search of food.

As might have been expected, game was here plentiful: numerous pigeons and other birds came down at nightfall (which was now the hour) for the purpose of drinking at this lone pool, and the numbers of birds of different kinds that congregated here was a most convincing proof of the general aridity of this part of the country.

Indeed the natives subsequently reported that the tract we had just traversed was at this season of the year totally devoid of water.