THEIR POSITION WHEN LAST SEEN. 23 
have arrived long before this, and I now felt satis- 
fied that they had turned back to Fowler’s Bay for 
the sake of the provisions buried there, or else they 
had fallen in with the natives, whose traces we 
had so repeatedly seen, and either joined them, or 
been killed by them. 
It was now apparent to me beyond all doubt, 
that in following us on the 30th of April, so far out 
of the direction they ought to have taken if they 
intended to go to the eastward, their only object had 
been to get Wylie to accompany them. As he was 
the eldest of the three, and a strong full grown 
man, they would have found him a protection to 
them from his superior age, strength and skill. As 
it was they had but little chance of making their way 
safely either to the east or west. At the time I last saw 
them they were sixty- three miles fromthe nearest water 
in the former direction, and eighty-seven miles from 
that in the latter. They were tired and exhausted 
from previous walking, and in this state would have 
to carry the guns, the provisions, and other things 
they had taken. This would necessarily retard 
their progress, and lengthen out the period which 
must elapse before they could obtain water in any 
direction. On the night of the 29th April they 
must have had one gallon of water with them, but 
when we saw them on the 30th, I have no doubt, that 
with their usual improvidence, they had consumed 
the whole, and would thus have to undergo the 
fatigue of carrying heavy weights, as well as walk- 
