CH. III.] CHAN^NEL OF THE BOGAN EXAMINED. 195 



Not a word could this chief of the Myalls speak, besides 

 his own language ; and his slow and formal approach indi- 

 cated that it was, undoubtedly, the first occasion, on which 

 he had seen white men. It was evident, at once, that he was 

 not the man to wander to stock-stations ; and that, whatever 

 others of his race might do, he preferred an undisputed sway, 

 " Far from the cheerful haunt of men and herds." 



Numbers of the tribe came about us, but tliey retired at 

 the chief's bidding. Not one, however, except those first met 

 with in the Bogan, could speak any of the jargon, by which 

 the natives usually communicate with the stockmen. We 

 could not make them understand, that we were in search of 

 one of our party, who was lost ; neither could Muirhead and 

 Whiting, who were returning to follow up Mr. Cunningham's 

 track, prevail on any of these natives to accompany them. 



May 3. — The two men having departed, to take up Mr. 

 Cunningham's track, I must liei*e observe, that the footsteps 

 had not been discovered in the Bogan, either at our last 

 camp, or at this, although Whiting and Tom Jones had 

 been in search of them, when they found the man with a 

 handkerchief; it was, therefore, most important to ascertain, 

 if possible, where, and under what circumstances, the foot- 

 steps disappeared. Tiie skill, with which these men had 

 followed the slightest impressions, was remarkable ; and I 

 fixed my hopes on the result of their further exertions. 



I cannot say, that I then expected, they would find Mr. 

 Cunningham, conceiving it was more probable, that he had 

 left the Bogan, and gone northward towards our stations 

 on the Macquarie, a river distant only a short day's journey 

 from the Bogan. My anxiety about him was embittered with 

 regret at the inauspicious delay of our journey, which his 

 disappearance had occasioned ; and I was too impatient on 

 both subjects, to be able to remain inactive at the camp. I, 

 therefore, set out, followed by two men on horseback, with 

 the intention of reconnoitring the country to the southward, 

 taking with us provisions for two days. After riding 17 



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