h on to the Fitzroy as fast as
their worn-out camels could take them. The reader will remember that
Warburton had failed to find A.C. Gregory's most southerly point on
Sturt's Creek when looking for it, and it was afterwards proved that
Joanna Springs had been charted by him about ten miles to the westward of
its true position. On the 7th of November, in the darkness of morning
they at last reached the Fitzroy, with the camels just at their last
gasp.

On the 16th of December, Wells, accompanied by that veteran pioneer N.
Buchanan, formerly of Queensland, started back with an Afghan, a native
boy, and eight camels, to look for the two men, who he hoped had
succeeded in finding Joanna Springs. He was absent until the 10th of
January, 1897, when he was forced to return unsuccessful. At the
beginning of April, taking with him his former companions of the
expedition, Wells renewed the search, and on the 9th at last succeeded in
identifying the Joanna Springs of Warburton. On the 13th some articles
belonging to the lost men were found amongst the natives, but he did not
at that time find the bodies. He started again with two members of the
West Australia police force, Sub-Inspector Ord and Trooper Nicholson, and
native trackers. This time they were successful in inducing some natives
to guide them to the exact spot where the remains lay amongst the
spinifex and sand. The bodies were within six miles of the place where,
on the last search expedition, Wells had found articles of equipment with
the natives.

G.L. Jones had kept a journal which supplied the clue to the cause of
their death.

"He stated in his journal," says Wells, "that they had gone
west-north-west for five days after separating from the main party, then
travelling a short distance north-east, and that both he and Charles felt
the heat terribly and were both unwell. They then returned to the well
(Separation Well) after an absence of nine days, rested at the water five
days, and then started to follow our tracks northward. Afterwards one of
their camels died, which obliged them to walk a great deal, and they
became very weak and exhausted by the intense heat. When writing he says
that two days previously he attempted to follow their camels, which had
strayed, but after walking half-a-mile he felt too weak to proceed and
returned with difficulty. There was at that time about two quarts of
water remaining to them, and he did not think they could last long afte