The state of distress and exhaustion in which they were found on the beach was truly pitiable and moving.  With scarcely strength to drag one foot after the other they had marched about a mile and a half that morning until they encountered the bold rocky projection of land at which we discovered them, and the passing of which they had given up as utterly hopeless from want of sufficient strength to climb over it.  Having been three days without water except their own and the seawater, the former of which they had saved in their canteens, and emptied out before us, and their only food being such nourishment as they could obtain from chewing a coarse rushy plant which grew about high-water mark, it cannot be matter of surprise that they were almost frantic after water, and that the portions of it which we sparingly administered to them, mixed with a little brandy, were most eagerly seized.  Indeed the greatest firmness and forbearance were necessary on our part to prevent the unfortunate sufferers from committing fatal excesses.  They declared their extremity to have been so great that no chance had appeared to them of surviving the next awful night, or of getting a foot beyond their present position; and, to his credit be it said, one of them* had been on his knees only ten minutes before they were rescued, supplicating with uplifted hands that aid and assistance which had thus, through Divine Providence, been so opportunely afforded them.

(Footnote.  Ruston.)

Search for Mr. Smith.

In answer to our anxious enquiries respecting Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith we learnt that the former, being much the strongest of the party, had, at their request, made the best of his way towards Perth ten days since, in order to send them out assistance, and that Mr. Smith, having been totally unable to proceed with them any further, had remained behind, in a dying state, four days ago.  Touched by this distressing intelligence, and sensibly alive to the value of time, we lost not a moment in lifting our three light weights on our horses, and by supporting them in their seats conveyed them over the sandhills to the more level space behind, where sufficient brushwood was scattered about for maintaining a fire.  Here Mr. Spofforth kindly undertook their charge, while I should proceed with Kinchela and Warrup in search of poor Smith.

Ruston having expressed himself very anxious to accompany us, and fearing that we might not otherwise accomplish our object, after receiving some suitable refreshment, he was mounted, and we all set off at as quick a pace as he could manage.  At the end of three miles a good view of the coast to the northward was opened to us from the summit of a rising ground, and Ruston pointed out, at the distance of 24 miles, an island near which he said young Smith had been left.  As this was far beyond the six or seven miles of which they had at first spoken, and totally precluded the