CHAPTER III. * 



Search for Mr. Cunningham — No traces to be seen— Supposed to have met 

 with an accident — Souter and Murray sent back along the track — Search 

 S. S. W. 40 miles — Intervievc with two natives— Range of porphyry — Mr. 

 Cunningham's track found— Mr. Larmer and a party sent to trace it — Mr, 

 Cunningham's track followed for 70 miles, his horse found dead — His own 

 footsteps traced— Mr. Larmer meets a tribe— The footsteps traced into the 

 channel of the Bogan— Death of the kangaroo— Reflections— Five natives 

 brought to me with a silk handkerchief in their possession — Their names — 

 The party halt at Cudduldury — Interview with the King of the Bogan — 

 Muirhead and Whiting sent to examine the dry channel of the river — 

 Search extended to the plains of the Lachlan — Camp of natives— Pass the 

 night in a hollow without water — View towards Mount Granard — A second 

 night without water — Awoke by the forest on fire — Interview with three 

 natives — Roots of trees sucked by the natives— Horses reach the camp with 

 great difficulty — Part of Mr. Cunningham's coat found. 



Ajjril 19. — After an almost sleepless nigbt, I rose early, 

 and could relieve my anxiety only by organizing- a search, lo 

 be made in different directions, and getting into movement 

 as soon as possible. The darkness of a second night of 

 dreary solitude, had passed over our fellow-traveller, under 

 the accumulated horrors of thirst, hunger, and despair! 



It was most mysterious, that he had not fallen in with our 

 line of route, which was a plain, broad road, since the pas- 

 sage of the carts ; and had a direction due north and south 

 for ten miles. The last time, he had been seen, was twelve 

 miles back, or about two miles from the dry bed of the creek, 

 (since named Bullock creek,) where I changed the direction, 

 fraiM north-west by compass, to due north, that I might 

 sooner reacli the Bogan, for thesakeof water. It was ])robable, 

 that in follo\nng my marked trees without much attention, he 

 had not observed the turn I took there, and that continuing 

 in the same direction, beyond the creek, he iiad therefore lost 

 tlxMi), and had proceeded too far to the westward. This was 



