CH. III.] LINE OF ROUTE RETRACED. 183 



April 20. — After another night of painful anxiety^ the 

 dawn of the tki?-d day of Mr. Cunningham's absence, brought 

 some relief, as daylight renewed the chance of finding him, 

 or of his finding us by our line, as he might have endeavoured 

 to retrace his steps on losing the party, or he might be on 

 our route still farther back than we had looked ; but I was 

 desirous that the natives whom we had left at Beny might 

 be sent in search. I despatched the Doctor and Murray back 

 along the line, the latter saying, that he knew Avhere Mr. 

 Cunningham had turned off" the road. It was not unlikely 

 that the horse, if he had got loose, might have returned to 

 where he had last drank water (20 miles distant), therefore, 

 they were directed, if traces were not found nearer, to go so 

 far back, and to promise the natives, if they could meet with 

 any, tomahawks, &c. if they found the " white man," or "his 

 horse." No other course could be imagined. The line of 

 route, as already stated, was a beaten road, and extended 

 north and south. To the east of it, and nearly parallel, at 

 two or three miles distance, was the dry channel (Bullock 

 creek), which led to the Bogan ; on the north was our camp 

 and the Bogan, whose general course was west, as well as 

 our intended route, circumstances both known to Mr. Cun- 

 ningham. Southward was the marked route, and the country 

 whence we had come. Still, however, I thought it so likely, 

 that he must have gone to the north-west, when we changed 

 our route to north, that I determined, although my sprained 

 ankle was painful, to examine again, and still more exten- 

 sively, the country into which such a deviation must have 

 led him. 



April 2\. — I proceeded in a south-south-west direction, 

 (or S. 17° W. by compass), or on an intermediate line 

 between our route and the north-west line, by which I had 

 explored that country on the nineteenth, the men cooying 

 as before. 



We explored every open space ; and we looked into many 

 bushes, but in vain. 



