the
camels, as he had heard of an officer who took two camels through a two
years' campaign in Cabul, the Punjab, and Scind by allowing them arrack.
He had also been sowing dissension in the camp for some time; and, in
short, the camels and the officer in charge of them seemed likely to
disorganise the whole of the enterprise.

Complaints were now continually reaching Burke from the managers of the
sheep stations through which they passed, that their shearers had got
drunk on some of the camels' rum, which had been obtained from the
wagons. He therefore, at last, determined to leave the rum behind.
Landells, of course, would not agree to this, and in the end sent in his
resignation.

In the course of the same day Dr. Beckler followed his example, giving
as his reason that he did not like the manner in which Burke spoke to
Landells, and that he did not consider the party safe without him to
manage the camels. Burke did not, however, accept the Doctor's
resignation.

This happened shortly before they left Menindie, the last station of the
settled districts, and it was impossible to find anyone to take
Landells' place. Wills was, however, at once promoted to be second in
charge.

Burke now divided the expedition into two parts--one to act with him as
an exploring party to test the safety of the route to Cooper's Creek,
which was about four hundred miles farther on; the other to remain at
Menindie with the heavy stores, under the care of Dr. Beckler, until
arrangements were made to establish a permanent depot in the interior.

The advance party of eight started on October 29, under the guidance of
a man named Wright, who was said to have practical knowledge of the
'back country.'

[Illustration: 'The advance party of eight started on October 29']

They were Burke, Wills, Brahe, Patten, M'Donough, King, Gray, and Dost
Mahomet, with fifteen horses and sixteen camels.

When this journey was made it was immediately after one of those
wonderful seasons that transform these parts of Central Australia from
a treeless and grassless desert to a land where the swelling plains that
stretch from bound to bound of the horizon are as vast fields of
ripening corn in their yellow summertide.

Riding girth high through the lovely natural grass, from which the ripe
seed scattered as they passed, or camping at night surrounded by it, the
horses and camels improved in condition each day, and were never at a
loss for water. Sometim