in which he wrote some notes. He then
said to me, "I hope you will remain with me here till I am quite
dead--it is a comfort to know that some one is by; but, when I am
dying, it is my wish that you should place the pistol in my right
hand, and that you leave me unburied as I lie." That night he spoke
very little, and the following morning I found him speechless, or
nearly so, and about eight o'clock he expired. I remained a few
hours there, but as I saw there was no use remaining longer I went
up the creek in search of the natives. I felt very lonely, and at
night usually slept in deserted wurleys belonging to the natives.
Two days after leaving the spot where Mr. Burke died, I found some
gunyahs where the natives had deposited a bag of nardoo, sufficient
to last me a fortnight, and three bundles containing various
articles. I also shot a crow that evening; but was in great dread
that the natives would come and deprive me of the nardoo.

I remained there two days to recover my strength, and then returned
to Mr. Wills. I took back three crows; but found him lying dead in
his gunyah, and the natives had been there and had taken away some
of his clothes. I buried the corpse with sand, and remained there
some days, but finding that my stock of nardoo was running short,
and as I was unable to gather it, I tracked the natives who had
been to the camp by their footprints in the sand, and went some
distance down the creek shooting crows and hawks on the road. The
natives, hearing the report of the gun, came to meet me, and took
me with them to their camp, giving me nardoo and fish: they took
the birds I had shot and cooked them for me, and afterwards showed
me a gunyah where I was to sleep with three of the single men. The
following morning they commenced talking to me, and putting one
finger on the ground and covering it with sand, at the same time
pointing up the creek saying "white fellow," which I understood to
mean that one white man was dead. From this I knew that they were
the tribe who had taken Mr. Wills's clothes. They then asked me
where the third white man was, and I also made the sign of putting
two fingers on the ground and covering them with sand, at the same
time pointing up the creek. They appeared to feel great compassion
for me when they understood that I was alone on the creek, and gave
me plenty to eat. After being four days with them, I saw that they
were becoming tired of me, and they made signs that th