I now washed and made myself as clean as possible.  I could obtain no conveyance to take us on to Perth and therefore started to walk in with Imbat, leaving the others to complete their breakfast; but I soon found myself dreadfully ill from having eaten too profusely; still I pushed on as well as I could, and in about an hour and a half reached the house of my friend, L. Samson, Esquire.  He could not believe it was me whom he beheld, but having convinced himself of the fact he made me swallow about a tea-spoonful of brandy, and, recruited by this, I was sufficiently recovered to wait upon His Excellency the Governor in order to have immediate steps taken to send off a party in search of my missing comrades.

The Governor could scarcely credit his sight when he beheld the miserable object that stood before him; but in this as in all other instances in which I have known him the goodness of his heart shone conspicuous; not only was every kindness shown me but immediate steps were taken to forward assistance to those who were still in the bush.  Having thus far performed my duty I retired to press a bed once more, having for nearly three consecutive months slept in the open air, on the ground just at the spot where my day’s hardship had terminated.  So changed was I that those of my friends who had heard of my arrival and were coming to congratulate me passed me in the street, whilst others to whom I went up and held out my hand drew back in horror and said, “I beg your pardon, who are you?”

Ere I was in bed the remainder of the men who were journeying with me arrived, and it had thus pleased Providence to conduct six of us through great suffering and want to the termination of our miseries.

CHAPTER 5.  FROM WATER PEAK TO PERTH.

(Mr. Walker’s party.)

Party sent in search from Perth.

I arrived at Perth on the 21st of April and not a moment was lost in preparing a party to go in search of the men I had left with Mr. Walker, and who, it will be recollected, were instructed to proceed along the coast until they made the Moore River, where assistance was to be sent out to them from Perth.

Search for the other party.

Accordingly on the 23rd of April Lieutenant Mortimer of the 21st regiment and Mr. Spofforth, with four soldiers, left Perth and arrived on the Moore River in two days; but after traversing its banks in vain for two days more they abandoned all hope of finding those they were in search of there, and pursued a straight course about 25 miles further north, when they fell in with another river where they formed a depot, and detours were made in various directions for several days without any avail.

Return with Charles woods.