ed me with uniform kindness, and looked upon me
as one of themselves. The day on which I was released, one of the
tribe who had been fishing came and told me that the "white
fellows," were coming, and the whole of the tribe who were then in
camp sallied out in every direction to meet the party, while the
man who had brought the news took me over the creek, where I
shortly saw the party coming down.

. . .

Brahe having quitted Cooper's Creek, as we have seen, on the 21st of
April, retraced his steps, towards the Darling. On the 28th or 29th
(there is a doubt about the exact date), he fell in with Wright's
party at Bulloo, and placed himself under his orders. On the 29th,
Dr. Becker died. On the 1st of May they left Bulloo, on their
return to Menindie. On the 3rd, Wright makes the following entry in
his diary:--

Friday, Koorliatto.--As I was anxious to ascertain, before
finally leaving the country, whether Mr. Burke had visited the old
depot at Cooper's Creek, between the present date and that on which
he left on his advance northward, or whether the stores cached
there had been disturbed by the natives, I started with Mr. Brahe
and three horses for Cooper's Creek and reached the head waters of
that creek on Sunday, the 5th May, in about seventy miles, steering
about west-north-west. I did not find any water throughout the
distance, but crossed several fine large gum creeks, and saw an
immense number of native dogs.

Thursday, May 9th.--This morning I reached Cooper's Creek depot,
and found no sign of Mr. Burke having visited the creek, or of the
natives having disturbed the stores. I therefore retraced my steps
to the depot that remained at Koorliatto.

. . .

On the examination of Wright and Brahe before the Royal Commission,
it came out that they did not remain more than a quarter of an hour
at Cooper's Creek depot, casting only a hurried glance around; and
believing that no one had been there, never thought of opening the
cache to identify the fact. Had they done so, they would have found
the papers and letters deposited by Mr. Burke, and all would yet
have been well. It is much to be regretted, and may excite some
surprise, that Burke and my son, after opening and closing up the
cache, affixed no EXTERNAL token of their having been there. But
the apathy, stupidity, and carelessness of Wright and Brahe are
really beyond comprehension. The effect of their miserably evasive
and contradictory evidence, when u