lone will really know the nature of
the country who shall follow me into it When I determined on turning
homewards, with mind depressed and strength weakened, it appeared to me
that I had done all that man could do. Now, under the influence of
restored health, I feel that I did far too little. I can only say that I
would not hesitate again to plunge into those dreary regions, that I
might be the first to place my foot in the centre of this vast
territory, and finally to raise the veil which still shrouds its
features, even though, like those of the veiled prophet, they should
wither the beholder.

ACROSS THE CONTINENT. SOUTH TO NORTH. I

+Source.+--Papers relating to the Burke and Wills Exploring Expedition,
1861. Published in the _Argus_, pp. 2-5, 19-20

In the year 1860 an expedition was planned to travel from Melbourne
to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The leader was Robert Burke, and though
with Wills, Gray, and King he reached the Gulf, the return was
fatal owing to the desertion of the Cooper's Creek Depot by the
other members of the expedition.

In the course of his evidence before the Commission of Inquiry Mr. King,
the sole survivor, said:

The day before we arrived at Cooper's Creek we were allowed to consume
as much provisions as we chose, in expectations of finding supplies so
soon. We had only one pound of dry meat when we got there. If we had
found no provisions there, we should all have died. It was as much as
any of us could do to travel along the side of the creek. We had been so
weak, that for ten days before, we had scarcely been able to make much
distance, or to walk about. I seemed to be worse than either Mr. Burke
or Mr. Wills, but after we arrived at the Depot I improved much more
than they did. We had no difficulty in finding the provisions there. We
arrived in the moonlight at half-past seven o'clock at night, after
having pushed on thirty miles that day. Mr. Burke rode on one of the
camels, and I and Mr. Wills on the other. We had our revolvers with us,
and had been continually shooting at the crows and hawks. When we got to
the Depot Mr. Burke was a little ahead of Mr. Wills and myself. He had
often before said, "I think I can see their tents ahead," and made
several remarks like that until we arrived there. When we got near, he
said, "I suppose they have shifted to some other part of the creek." It
was Mr. Wills who first saw the tree-mark, and saw the things s