but the discovery was certainly a blow for which I was not prepared.  Our hopes were annihilated at the moment of their apparent realization.  The cup of joy was dashed out of our hands before we had time to raise it to our lips.  Notwithstanding this disappointment, we proceeded down the river, and halted at about five miles, being influenced by the goodness of the feed to provide for the cattle as well as circumstances would permit.  They would not drink of the river water, but stood covered in it for many hours, having their noses alone exposed above the stream.  Their condition gave me great uneasiness.  It was evident they could not long hold out under the excessive thirst, and unless we should procure some fresh water, it would be impossible for us to continue our journey.

Mr. Hume, with his usual perseverance, walked out when the camp was formed; and at a little distance from it, ascended a ridge of pure sand, crowned with cypresses.  From this he descended to the westward, and, at length, struck upon the river, where a reef of rocks crossed its channel and formed a dry passage from one side to the other; but the bend which the river must have taken appeared to him so singular, that he doubted whether it was the same beside which we had been travelling during the day.  Curiosity led him to cross it, when he found a small pond of fresh water on a tongue of land, and immediately afterwards, returned to acquaint me with the welcome tidings.  It was too late to move, but we had the prospect of a comfortable breakfast in the morning.

On the 6th February we journeyed again through a barren scrub, although on firmer ground, and passed numerous groups of huts.  At about eight miles from our last encampment, we came upon the river where its banks were of considerable height.  In riding along them Mr. Hume thought he observed a current running, and he called to inform me of the circumstance.  On a closer examination we discovered some springs in the very bed of the river, from which a considerable stream was gushing, and from the incrustation around them, we had no difficulty in guessing at their nature; in fact, they were brine springs, and I collected a quantity of salt from the brink of them.

After such a discovery we could not hope to keep our position.  No doubt the current we had observed on first reaching the river was caused by springs that had either escaped our notice, or were under water.  Here was at length a local cause for its saltness that destroyed at once the anticipation and hope of our being near its termination, and, consequently, the ardour with which we should have pressed on to decide so interesting a point.