through the Interior of Australia from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
![]() |
From the Journals and Letters of William John Wills, edited by his father, William Wills. London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street. (Ferguson 18622) 1862. |
![](../images/template_line_decorative.gif)
Chapter 10
- Return from Carpentaria to Cooper's Creek
- Mr Wills's Journals from February 19th to April 21st, 1861
- Illness and Death of Gray
- The Survivors arrive at Cooper's Creek Depot and find it deserted
- A Small Stock of Provisions left
- Conduct of Brahe
- Report of the Royal Commission
Mr Burke and Mr Wills having accomplished the grand object of the Expedition by reaching the Gulf of Carpentaria, rejoined Gray and King at Camp 119, where they had left them with the camels. On the 13th of February the party turned their faces to the south, and commenced their long and toilsome march in return. The entries in my son's journals were transcribed as follows:
Tuesday, 19th February, 1861.--Boocha's
Camp.
Wednesday, 20th February, 1861.--Pleasant Camp; 5R.
Thursday, 21st February, 1861.--Recovery Camp; 6R. Between four
and five o'clock a heavy thunderstorm broke over us, having given
very little warning of its approach. There had been lightning and
thunder towards south-east and south ever since noon yesterday.
The rain was incessant and very heavy for an hour and a half,
which made the ground so boggy that the animals could scarcely
walk over it; we nevertheless started at ten minutes to seven
A.M., and after floundering along for half an hour halted for
breakfast. We then moved on again, but soon found that the
travelling was too heavy for the camels, so camped for the
remainder of the day. In the afternoon the sky cleared a little,
and the sun soon dried the ground, considering. Shot a pheasant,
and much disappointed at finding him all feathers and claws. This
bird nearly resembles a cock pheasant in plumage, but in other
respects it bears more the character of the magpie or crow; the
feathers are remarkably wiry and coarse.
Friday, 22nd February, 1861.--Camp 7R. A fearful thunderstorm in
the evening, about eight P.M., from east-south-east, moving
gradually round to south. The flashes of lightning were so vivid
and incessant as to keep up a continual light for short
intervals, overpowering the moonlight. Heavy rain and strong
squalls continued for more than an hour, when the storm moved off
west-north-west. The sky remained more or less overcast for the
rest of the night, and the following morning was both sultry and
oppressive, with the ground so boggy as to be almost
impassable.
Saturday, 23rd February, 1861.--Camp 8R. In spite of the
difficulties thrown in our way by last night's storm, we crossed
the creek, but were shortly afterwards compelled to halt for the
day on a small patch of comparatively dry ground, near the river.
The day turned out very fine, so that the soil dried rapidly, and
we started in the evening to try a trip by moonlight. We were
very fortunate in finding sound ground along a billibong, which
permitted of our travelling for about five miles up the creek,
when we camped for the night. The evening was most oppressively
hot and sultry, so much so that the slightest exertion made one
feel as if he were in a state of suffocation. The dampness of the
atmosphere prevented any evaporation, and gave one a helpless
feeling of lassitude that I have never before experienced to such
an extent. All the party complained of the same symptoms, and the
horses showed distinctly the effect of the evening trip, short as
it was. We had scarcely turned in half an hour when it began to
rain, some heavy clouds having come up from the eastward in place
of the layer of small cirrocumulus that before ornamented the
greater portion of the sky. These clouds soon moved on, and we
were relieved from the dread of additional mud. After the sky
cleared, the atmosphere became rather cooler and less sultry, so
that, with the assistance of a little smoke to keep the
mosquitoes off, we managed to pass a tolerable night.
Sunday, 24th February, 1861.--Camp 9R. Comparatively little rain
has fallen above the branch creek with the running water. The
vegetation, although tolerably fresh, is not so rank as that we
have left; the water in the creek is muddy, but good, and has
been derived merely from the surface drainage of the adjoining
plains. The Melaleneus continues on this branch creek, which
creeps along at the foot of the ranges.
Monday, 25th February, 1861.--Camp 10R. There has been very
little rain on this portion of the creek since we passed down;
there was, however, no water at all then at the pans. At the
Tea-tree spring, a short distance up the creek, we found plenty
of water in the sand, but it had a disagreeable taste, from the
decomposition of leaves and the presence of mineral matter,
probably iron. There seems to have been a fair share of rain
along here, everything is so very fresh and green, and there is
water in many of the channels we have crossed.
Tuesday, 26th February, 1861.--Apple-tree Camp; 11R.
Thursday, 28th February, 1861.--Reedy Gully Camp; 12R. Came into
the Reedy Gully Camp about midnight on Tuesday, the 26th;
remained there throughout the day on Wednesday; starting at two
A.M. on Thursday.
Friday, 1st March, 1861.--Camp of the Three Crows; 13R.
Saturday, 2nd March, 1861.--Salt-bush Camp; 14R. Found Golah. He
looks thin and miserable; seems to have fretted a great deal,
probably at finding himself left behind, and he has been walking
up and down our tracks till he has made a regular pathway; could
find no sign of his having been far off, although there is a
splendid feed to which he could have gone. He began to eat as
soon as he saw the other camels.
Sunday, 3rd March, 1861.--Eureka Camp; 15R. In crossing a creek
by moonlight, Charley rode over a large snake; he did not touch
him, and we thought that it was a log until he struck it with the
stirrup iron; we then saw that it was an immense snake, larger
than any I have ever before seen in a wild state. It measured
eight feet four inches in length and seven inches in girth round
the belly; it was nearly the same thickness from the head to
within twenty inches of the tail; it then tapered rapidly. The
weight was 11½ pounds. From the tip of the nose to five
inches back, the neck was black, both above and below; throughout
the rest of the body, the under part was yellow, and the sides
and back had irregular brown transverse bars on a yellowish brown
ground. I could detect no poisonous fangs, but there were two
distinct rows of teeth in each jaw, and two small claws of nails,
about three-eighths of an inch long, one on each side of the
vent.
Monday, 4th March, 1861.--Feasting Camp; 16R. Shortly after
arriving at Camp 16 we could frequently hear distant thunder
towards the east, from which quarter the wind was blowing. During
the afternoon there were frequent heavy showers, and towards
evening it set in to rain steadily but lightly; this lasted till
about eight P.M., when the rain ceased and the wind got round to
west; the sky, however, remained overcast until late in the
night, and then cleared for a short time; the clouds were soon
succeeded by a dense fog or mist, which continued until morning.
The vapour having then risen, occupied the upper air in the form
of light cirrostratus and cumulus clouds.
Tuesday, 5th March, 1861.--Camp 17R. Started at two A.M. on a
south-south-westerly course, but had soon to turn in on the
creek, as Mr Burke felt very unwell, having been attacked by
dysentery since eating the snake; he now felt giddy and unable to
keep his seat. At six A.M., Mr Burke feeling better, we started
again, following along the creek, in which there was considerably
more water than when we passed down. We camped, at 2.15 P.M., at
a part of the creek where the date trees [Footnote: Probably
Livistonas.] were very numerous, and found the fruit nearly ripe
and very much improved on what it was when we were here
before.
Wednesday, 6th March, 1861.--Camp 18R. Arrived at our former
camp, and found the feed richer than ever, and the ants just as
troublesome. Mr Burke is a little better, and Charley looks
comparatively well. The dryness of the atmosphere seems to have a
beneficial effect on all. We found yesterday, that it was a
hopeless matter about Golah, and we were obliged to leave him
behind, as he seemed to be completely done up and could not come
on, even when the pack and saddle were taken off.
Thursday, 7th March, 1861.--Fig-tree Camp; 19R; Palm-tree Camp,
104, and 20 degrees Latitude, by observation, coming down, 20
degrees 21 minutes 40 seconds. There is less water here than
there was when we passed down, although there is evidence of the
creek having been visited by considerable floods during the
interval. Feed is abundant, and the vegetation more fresh than
before. Mr Burke almost recovered, but Charley is again very
unwell and unfit to do anything; he caught cold last night
through carelessness in covering himself.
Friday, 8th March, 1861.--Camp 20R. Followed the creek more
closely coming up than going down. Found more water in it
generally.
Saturday, 9th March, 1861.--Camp 21R. Reached our former camp at
1. 30 P.M. Found the herbage much dried up, but still plenty of
feed for the camels.
Sunday, 10th March, 1861.--Camp 22R. Camped at the junction of a
small creek from the westward, a short distance below our former
camp, there being plenty of good water here, whereas the supply
at Specimen Camp is very doubtful.
Monday, 11th March, 1861.--Camp 23R. Halted for breakfast at the
Specimen Camp at 7.15 A.M., found more water and feed there than
before; then proceeded up the creek and got safely over the most
dangerous part of our journey. Camped near the head of the Gap in
a flat, about two miles below our former camp at the Gap.
Tuesday, 12th March, 1861.--Camp 24R.
Wednesday, 13th March, 1861.--Camp 25R. Rain all day, so heavily
that I was obliged to put my watch and field book in the pack to
keep them dry. In the afternoon the rain increased, and all the
creeks became flooded. We took shelter under some fallen rocks,
near which was some feed for the camels; but the latter was of no
value, for we had soon to remove them up amongst the rocks, out
of the way of the flood, which fortunately did not rise high
enough to drive us out of the cave; but we were obliged to shift
our packs to the upper part. In the evening the water fell as
rapidly as it had risen, leaving everything in a very boggy
state. There were frequent light showers during the night.
Thursday, 14th March, 1861.--Camp 26R; Sandstone cave. The water
in the creek having fallen sufficiently low, we crossed over from
the cave and proceeded down the creek. Our progress was slow, as
it was necessary to keep on the stony ridge instead of following
the flats, the latter being very boggy after the rain. Thinking
that this creek must join Scratchley's, near our old camp, we
followed it a long way, until finding it trend altogether too
much eastward, we tried to shape across for the other creek, but
were unable to do so, from the boggy nature of the intervening
plain.
Friday, 15th March, 1861.--Camp 27R.
Saturday, 16th March, 1861.--Camp 28R. Scratchley's Creek.
Sunday, 17th March, 1861.--Camp 29R.
Monday, 18th March, 1861.--Camp 30R.
Tuesday, 19th March, 1861.--Camp 31R.
Wednesday, 20th March, 1861.--Camp 32R. Feasting Camp. Last
evening the sky was clouded about nine P.M., and a shower came
down from the north. At ten o'clock it became so dark that we
camped on the bank of the creek, in which was a nice current of
clear water. To-day we halted, intending to try a night journey.
The packs we overhauled and left nearly 60 pounds weight of
things behind. They were all suspended in a pack from the
branches of a shrub close to the creek. We started at a quarter
to six, but were continually pulled up by billibongs and branch
creeks, and soon had to camp for the night. At the junction of
the two creeks just above are the three cones, which are three
remarkably small hills to the eastward.
Thursday, 21st March, 1861.--Humid Camp, 33R.--Unable to proceed
on account of the slippery and boggy state of the ground. The
rain has fallen very heavily here to-day, and every little
depression in the ground is either full of water or covered with
slimy mud. Another heavy storm passed over during the night,
almost extinguishing the miserable fire we were able to get up
with our very limited quantity of waterlogged and green wood.
Having been so unfortunate last night, we took an early breakfast
this morning at Camp 33, which I had named the Humid Camp, from
the state of dampness in which we found everything there; and
crossing to the east bank of the main creek, proceeded in a
southerly direction nearly parallel with the creek. Some of the
flats near the creek contain the richest alluvial soil, and are
clothed with luxuriant vegetation. There is an immense extent of
plain, back, of the finest character for pastoral purposes, and
the country bears every appearance of being permanently well
watered. We halted on a large billibong at noon, and were
favoured during dinner by a thunderstorm, the heavier portion of
which missed us, some passing north and some south, which was
fortunate, as it would otherwise have spoiled our baking process,
a matter of some importance just now. We started again at seven
o'clock, but the effects of the heavy rain prevented our making a
good journey.
Friday, 22nd March, 1861.--Muddy Camp, 34R.--Had an early
breakfast this morning, and started before sunrise. Found that
the wet swampy ground that checked our progress last night was
only a narrow strip, and that had we gone a little further we
might have made a fine journey. The country consisted of open,
well-grassed, pebbly plains, intersected by numerous small
channels, all containing water. Abundance of fine rich portulac
was just bursting into flower along all these channels, as well
as on the greater portion of the plain. The creek that we camped
on last night ran nearly parallel with us throughout this stage.
We should have crossed it, to avoid the stony plains, but were
prevented by the flood from so doing.
Saturday, 23rd March, 1861.--Mosquito Camp, 35R.--Started at a
quarter to six and followed down the creek, which has much of the
characteristic appearance of the River Burke, where we crossed it
on our up journey. The land in the vicinity greatly improves as
one goes down, becoming less stony and better grassed. At eleven
o'clock we crossed a small tributary from the eastward, and there
was a distant range of considerable extent visible in that
direction. Halted for the afternoon in a bend where there was
tolerable feed, but the banks are everywhere more or less
scrubby.
Sunday, 24th March, 1861.--Three-hour Camp, 36R.
Monday, 25th March, 1861.--Native-Dog Camp, 37R.--Started at
half-past five, looking for a good place to halt for the day.
This we found at a short distance down the creek, and immediately
discovered that it was close to Camp 89 of our up journey. Had
not expected that we were so much to the westward. After
breakfast, took some time-altitudes, and was about to go back to
last camp for some things that had been left, when I found Gray
behind a tree eating skilligolee. He explained that he was
suffering from dysentery, and had taken the flour without leave.
Sent him to report himself to Mr Burke, and went on. He, having
got King to tell Mr Burke for him, was called up, and received a
good thrashing. There is no knowing to what extent he has been
robbing us. Many things have been found to run unaccountably
short. Started at seven o'clock, the camels in first-rate
spirits. We followed our old course back (south). The first
portion of the plains had much the same appearance as when we
came up, but that near Camp 88, which then looked so fresh and
green, is now very much dried up; and we saw no signs of water
anywhere. In fact, there seems to have been little or no rain
about here since we passed. Soon after three o'clock we struck
the first of several small creeks or billibongs, which must be
portions of the creek with the deep channel that we crossed on
going up, we being now rather to the westward of our former
course. From here, after traversing about two miles of the barest
clay plain, devoid of all vegetation, we reached a small
watercourse, most of the holes in which contained some water of a
milky or creamy description. Fine salt bush and portulac being
abundant in the vicinity, we camped here at 4.30 A.M. When we
started in the evening, a strong breeze had already sprung up in
the south, which conveyed much of the characteristic feeling of a
hot wind. It increased gradually to a force of five and six, but
by eleven o'clock had become decidedly cool, and was so chilly
towards morning that we found it necessary to throw on our
ponchos. A few cirrocumulus clouds were coming up from the east
when we started, but we left them behind, and nothing was visible
during the night but a thin hazy veil. The gale continued
throughout the 26th, becoming warmer as the day advanced. In the
afternoon it blew furiously, raising a good deal of dust. The
temperature of air at four P.M. was 84 degrees in the shade. Wind
trees all day.
This last entry contains an unpleasant record
of poor Gray's delinquency. He appears to have been hitherto
rather a favourite with my son.
King, on his examination before the Royal Commission, finding
that Mr Burke was censured for chastising Gray, at first denied
it strongly. My son only relates in his diary what Mr Burke had
told him; "I have given Gray a good thrashing, and well he
deserved it." King blamed my son for mentioning this, but
admitted that Mr Burke gave Gray several slaps on the head;
afterwards, seeing that Mr Burke was found fault with for not
keeping a journal, King was made to appear to say that Mr.
Wills's journal was written in conjunction with and under the
supervision of Mr Burke; and thus accounted for the absence of
one by Mr Burke. I was present at King's examination, and can
bear witness that he said nothing of the kind. His answers, as
given in the Royal Commission Report, were framed to suit the
questions of the interrogator, which appeared to astonish King,
and he made no reply. King's statements, as far as he understood
what he was asked, I believe to have been generally very
truthful, and honestly given.
After March 25th, an interval of three days occurs, in which
nothing is noted. Gray's illness, attending to the maps, with
extra labour, may account for this omission.
March 29.--Camels' last feast; fine green feed
at this camp: plenty of vines and young polygonums on the small
billibongs.
March 30.--Boocha's rest.--Poor Boocha was killed; employed all
day in cutting up and jerking him: the day turned out as
favourable for us as we could have wished, and a considerable
portion of the meat was completely jerked before sunset.
March 31.--Mia Mia Camp.--Plenty of good dry feed; various
shrubs; salt bushes, including cotton bush and some coarse
kangaroo grass; water in the hollows on the stony pavement. The
neighbouring country chiefly composed of stony rises and sand
ridges.
April 5--Oil Camp.--Earthy and clayey plains, generally sound and
tolerably grassed, but in other places bare salt bush, and
withered.
April 6 and 7.--Earthy flats, cut into innumerable water courses,
succeeded by fine open plains, generally very bare, but having in
some places patches of fine salt bush. The dead stalks of
portulac and mallows show that those plants are very plentiful in
some seasons. Towards noon came upon earthy plains and numerous
billibongs. The next day the water and feed much dried up, and
nearly all the water has a slightly brackish taste of a peculiar
kind, somewhat resembling in flavour potassio-tartrate of soda
(cream of tartar).
On the 8th, poor Gray, suffering under the bad odour of his
peculations, was thought to be pretending illness, because he
could not walk, and my son, when he was himself ill, much
regretted their suspicions on this point; but it appears from
King's evidence, that Gray's excuse for using the provisions
surreptitiously, that he was attacked by dysentery, was without
foundation.
Monday, April 8.--Camp 50R.--Camped a short distance above Camp
75. The creek here contains more water, and there is a
considerable quantity of green grass in its bed, but it is much
dried up since we passed before. Halted fifteen minutes to send
back for Gray, who pretended that he could not walk. Some good
showers must have fallen lately, as we have passed surface water
on the plains every day. In the latter portion of to-day's
journey, the young grass and portulac are springing freshly in
the flats, and on the sides of the sand ridges.
Tuesday, April 9.--Camp 51R.--Camped on the bank of the creek,
where there is a regular field of salt bush, as well as some
grass in its bed, very acceptable to the horse, who has not had a
proper feed for the last week until last night, and is,
consequently, nearly knocked up.
Wednesday, April 10.--Camp 52R.--Remained at Camp 52 R all day,
to cut up and jerk the meat of the horse Billy, who was so
reduced and knocked up for want of food that there appeared
little chance of his reaching the other side of the desert; and
as we were running hort of food of every description ourselves,
we thought it best to secure his flesh at once. We found it
healthy and tender, but without the slightest trace of fat in any
portion of the body.
In the journal to the Fifteenth, there is nothing worthy of note; there were watercourses daily, the character of the country the same; the plants chiefly chrysanthemums and salt bush. On the latter day it rained heavily, commenced at five in the morning, and continued pretty steadily throughout the day. The camel, Linda, got knocked up owing to the wet, and having to cross numerous sand ridges; and at four o'clock they had to halt at a clay-pan among the sandhills.
On Wednesday, the 17th, my son notes the death of poor Gray: "He had not spoken a word distinctly since his first attack, which was just about as we were going to start." Here King mentions that they remained one day to bury Gray. They were so weak, he said, that it was with difficulty they could dig a grave sufficiently deep to inter him in. This is not in the journal, but in King's narrative.
On the 19th, camped again without water, on the sandy bed of the creek, having been followed by a lot of natives who were desirous of our company; but as we preferred camping alone, we were compelled to move on until rather late, in order to get away from them. The night was very cold. A strong breeze was blowing from the south, which made the fire so irregular that, as on the two previous nights, it was impossible to keep up a fair temperature. Our general course throughout the day had been south-south-east.
On Sunday, April 21, the survivors, Mr Burke, my son, King, and two camels, reached Cooper's Creek at the exact place where the Depot party had been left under Brahe. THERE WAS NO ONE THERE! During the last few days every exertion had been made, every nerve strained to reach the goal of their arduous labours--the spot where they expected to find rest, clothing, and provisions in abundance. King describes in vivid language the exertions of that last ride of thirty miles; and Burke's delight when he thought he saw the Depot camp; "There they are!" he exclaimed; "I see them!" The wish was "father to the thought." Lost and bewildered in amazement, he appeared like one stupefied when the appalling truth burst on him. King has often described to me the scene. "Mr Wills looked about him in all directions. Presently he said, 'King, they are gone;' pointing a short way off to a spot, 'there are the things they have left.' Then he and I set to work to dig them up, which we did in a short time. Mr. Burke at first was quite overwhelmed, and flung himself on the ground." But soon recovering, they all three set to work to cook some victuals. When thus refreshed, my son made the following entry in his journal:
Sunday, April 21.--Arrived at the Depot this evening, just in time to find it deserted. A note left in the plant by Brahe communicates the pleasing information that they have started today for the Darling; their camels and horses all well and in good condition. We and our camels being just done up, and scarcely able to reach the Depot, have very little chance of overtaking them. Brahe has fortunately left us ample provisions to take us to the bounds of civilization namely:--Flour, 50 pounds; rice, 20 pounds; oatmeal, 60 pounds; sugar, 60 pounds; and dried meat, 15 pounds. These provisions, together with a few horse-shoes and nails, and some odds and ends, constitute all the articles left, and place us in a very awkward position in respect to clothing. Our disappointment at finding the Depot deserted may easily be imagined;--returning in an exhausted state, after four months of the severest travelling and privation, our legs almost paralyzed, so that each of us found it a most trying task only to walk a few yards. Such a leg-bound feeling I never before experienced, and hope I never shall again. The exertion required to get up a slight piece of rising ground, even without any load, induces an indescribable sensation of pain and helplessness, and the general lassitude makes one unfit for anything. Poor Gray must have suffered very much many times when we thought him shamming. It is most fortunate for us that these symptoms, which so early affected him, did not come on us until we were reduced to an exclusively animal diet of such an inferior description as that offered by the flesh of a worn-out and exhausted horse. We were not long in getting out the grub that Brahe had left, and we made a good supper off some oatmeal porridge and sugar. This, together with the excitement of finding ourselves in such a peculiar and most unexpected position, had a wonderful effect in removing the stiffness from our legs. Whether it is possible that the vegetables can have so affected us, I know not; but both Mr Burke and I remarked a most decided relief and a strength in the legs greater than we had had for several days. I am inclined to think that but for the abundance of portulac that we obtained on the journey, we should scarcely have returned to Cooper's Creek at all. |
I asked King how my son behaved. His answer was, that he never once showed the slightest anger or loss of self-command. From under a tree on which had been marked,
DIG
21st April, 1861
a box was extracted containing the provisions, and a bottle with the following note:
Depot, Cooper's Creek, April 21, 1861. The Depot party of the V.E.E. leaves this camp to-day to return to the Darling. I intend to go south-east from Camp 60 to get into our old track near Bulloo. Two of my companions and myself are quite well; the third, Patten, has been unable to walk for the last eighteen days, as his leg has been severely hurt when thrown by one of the horses. No one has been up here from the Darling. We have six camels and twelve horses in good working condition. William Brahe |
Brahe has been blamed for not having left a true statement of his condition, and that of those with him; but it was truth when he wrote it. He believed Patten's to have been a sprain. It was afterwards that he contradicted himself, in his journal WRITTEN IN MELBOURNE, and in his evidence before the Royal Commission. Brahe had no journal when he came down the first time with a message from Wright, and was requested, or ordered, by the committee to produce one, which he subsequently did. In this journal, Brahe enters, on the 15th April, "Patten is getting worse. I and McDonough begin to feel ALARMING SYMPTOMS of the same disease" (namely, a sprain).
April 18.--There is no probability of Mr.
Burke returning this way. Patten is in a deplorable state, and
desirous of returning to the Darling to obtain medical
assistance; and our provisions will soon be reduced to a quantity
insufficient to take us back to the Darling if the trip should
turn out difficult and tedious. Being also sure that I and
McDonough would not much longer escape scurvy, I, after most
seriously considering all circumstances, made up my
mind to start for the Darling on Sunday next, the 21st. |
That day he abandoned the Depot at ten A.M. leaving 50 pounds of flour, taking with him 150 pounds; leaving 50 pounds of oatmeal, taking ABOUT 70 pounds; leaving 50 pounds of sugar, taking 75 pounds; leaving rice 30 pounds, taking one bag. He left neither tea nor biscuits, and took all the clothes, being the property of Mr Wills. The latter, he said before the Royal Commissioners, were only shirts, omitting the word flannel, and added that they were badly off themselves. He was asked:
Question 323: Had you any clothes of any description at Cooper's Creek that might have been left?--Yes, I had a parcel of clothes that were left with me by Mr Wills; these were all that I know of, and we ourselves were very badly off.
Question 1729. By Dr Wills (through the chairman)--I wish to know whether a portmanteau was left with you, belonging to Mr. Wills, my son? Yes, a bag, a calico bag containing clothes.
1730.--You were aware it was his own property?--I was.
1731.--What made you take those clothes back to Menindie, and not leave them in the cache?--Mr Wills was better supplied than any other member of the party, and I certainly did not think he would be in want of clothes.
With a somewhat unaccountable disposition to sympathize with Brahe, on the part of the Committee and the Royal Commission, the latter summed up their impression of his conduct thus:
The conduct of Mr Brahe in retiring from his position at the Depot before he was rejoined by his commander, or relieved from the Darling, may be deserving of considerable censure; but we are of opinion that a responsibility far beyond his expectations devolved upon him; and it must be borne in mind that, with the assurance of his leader, and his own conviction that he might each day expect to be relieved by Mr Wright, he still held his post for four months and five days; and that only when pressed by the appeals of a comrade sickening even to death, as was subsequently proved, his powers of endurance gave way, and he retired from the position which could alone afford succour to the weary explorers should they return by that route. His decision was most unfortunate; but we believe he acted from a conscientious desire to discharge his duty, and we are confident that the painful reflection that twenty-four hours' further perseverance would have made him the rescuer of the explorers, and gained for himself the praise and approbation of all, must be of itself an agonizing thought, without the addition of censure he might feel himself undeserving of. |