326 TRACES OF MR. CUNNINGHAM, [CH. VIII, 



ing, I came accidentally on an old footstep of Mr. Cun- 

 ningliam, in the clay, now baked hard by the sun. Four 

 months had elapsed since we had traced his steps, and 

 up to this time, the clay bore these last records of our late 

 fellow-traveller ! 



Sept. 4. — The old man, with a hideous *' mumping face,'-' 

 again came up, and took his place at one of our fires, 

 having sent the boy on some message, probably to bring 

 others of his tribe, or tell them of our movements. I 

 asked him about Mr. Cunningham, but could only obtain 

 evasive answers, and I thought it best to order him peremp- 

 torily to quit our camp. This I did in loud terms, firing a 

 pistol at the same time over his head. He walked off, how- 

 ever, with a firm step, and with an air which I thought rather 

 dignified under the circumstances. Early this morning, I sent 

 overseer Burnett on before us with three of the party to look 

 for water, leaving the cattle and the men who came in yes- 

 terday to rest until 10 a. m. To-day and yesterday, we once 

 more beheld a sky variegated with good swelling clouds, 

 and enjoyed a fresh bi-eeze from the south-west. The sight 

 even of such a sky was now a novelty to us, and seemed as if 

 we had at last got home. We had, in fact, already ascended 

 five hundred feet above the level of the plains of the interior, 

 and were approaching the mountains. At eleven, we pro- 

 ceeded and struck into oui- old track, where it touched on the 

 Bogan, and we crossed its channel half a mile beyond where 

 we had been encam])ed so long, when looking for Mr. Cun- 

 ningham. On this day's journey, we again intersected his 

 footsteps ; and I could not avoid following them once more 

 to the pond on the Bogan, where he must have first drank 

 water, after a thirst and hunger of four or five days ! There 

 was water still there, though it had shrunk two yards from its 

 former margin ; but not tlie impression of a native's foot ap- 

 peared near it, nor any longer the traces of Mr. Cunningham. 

 I was now about to follow llic Bognn further up in order to 

 make sure of water, and thus to leave our track, with the 



