Lieutenant Mortimer's party, having made every exertion but in vain to find the five remaining persons, were compelled at the end of a fortnight by want of provisions to return to Perth, where they arrived on the 6th of May; and early the next morning the Surveyor-General, Mr. Roe, accompanied by Mr. Spofforth (who again volunteered his services) four men, and two native youths, with five horses, set out in search of those still missing.
ARRIVAL OF MR. WALKER AT PERTH. JOURNAL OF MR. WALKER'S PARTY.
On the 9th of May, two days after the departure of Mr. Roe's party, Mr. Walker came into Perth alone, and from his statement, together with what was gleaned subsequently from the other men, I shall here briefly narrate what befel them after my departure on the 10th of April.
NARRATIVE OF THEIR PROCEEDINGS FROM WATER PEAK.
On the next day they started at dawn and soon came to a great deal of scrub; this was the belt of thick wood mentioned in my journal. Mr. Walker says the men, being disheartened at this, they went down to the beach and halted about a mile from it; Water Peak Hill being distant about fifteen miles. Woods said much discontent was caused amongst the men by its being conceived that they were following a bad course; or, according to Ruston's expression, that "the steering was very bad."
April 12.
They found a river with pools of water in coarse gravel in which they caught here two small fish, and travelled six miles through the scrub along a native path.
April 13.
They started and went down towards the beach. The men cut and cooked some greens but found no water. Travelled twelve or fourteen miles along the beach.
Sunday April 14.