188 MR. Cunningham's supposed course, [ch. iii. 



proaclied within a mile of our route, but in such a manner, 

 that he appeared to have been going south, while we were 

 travelling north, (on the 18th). Thus, he had continued to 

 travel southward, or south-south-west, full 14 miles, crossing 

 his own track not far from where he first quitted our route. 

 On his left, he had the dry channel (Bullock creek), with the 

 water-gum-trees (eucalypti), full in view, though without ever 

 looking into it for water.* Had he observed this channel, 

 and followed it downwards, he must have found our route ; 

 and had he traced it upwards, he must have come upon the 

 water-holes, where I had an interview with the two natives, 

 and thus, perhaps, have fallen in with me. From the 

 marks of his horse having been tied to four different trees, at 

 the extreme southern point which he reached, it appeared, 

 that he had halted there some time, or passed there the 

 second night. That point was not much more than half a 

 mile to the westward of my track out on the 21st. From 

 it, he had returned, keeping still more to the westward, 

 so that he actually fell in with my track of the 19th, and 

 appeared to have followed it backwards for upwards of a 

 mile, when he struck off at a right angle to the north-west. 



It was impossible to account for this fatal deviation, even 

 had night, as most of the party supposed, overtaken him 

 there. It seemed, that he had found my paper directing 

 him to trace my steps backwards, and that he had been 

 doing this, where the paper marked " N. E." had been 

 found, and which I, therefore, considered a sort of reply to 

 my note. If we were right, as to the nights, this must have 

 taken jdace on the very day, on which I had passed that 

 way, and when my eye eagerly caught at every dark coloured 

 distant object, in hopes of finding him ! After the deviation 

 to the nortii-west, it appears, that Mr. Cunningham made 

 some detours about a clear j)lain, at one side of which his 



• These trees being remarkable from tlnir white shining trunks, resembling 

 thoHf! of bt cch trees; a circuniHtancc to which, as connected with the presence 

 of water, I bad just before drawn his attention. 



