had gone. Night closing in almost directly prevented any search
for the missing animals.

Next morning nothing could be seen of them, though their tracks were
followed for many miles, and though Wills went to some distant hills and
searched the landscape on all sides with his field-glasses.

With a temperature of 112 deg. in the shade, and the dazzling sun-rays
beating from a pallid and cloudless sky, they started on their homeward
walk of eighty miles, with only a little bread and a few johnny cakes to
eat, each carrying as much water as he could.

They feared to light a fire even at night, as it might have attracted
the blacks; therefore they took it in turn to sleep and watch when the
others rested; while the dingoes sneaked from their cover in the belts
of scrub, and howled dismally around them.

They reached the depot in three days, having found only one pool of
stagnant water, from which they drank a great deal and refilled the
goatskin bag.

Wills was obliged to return afterwards with King to recover the saddles
and things that were left when the camels strayed.

For some time Wright had been expected to arrive with the caravan from
Menindie; yet a whole month passed and he did not come.

Burke who had now become very impatient at the loss of opportunity and
time, determined to make a dash across the continent to the sea.

He therefore left Brahe, a man who could travel by compass and
observation, in charge at Cooper's Creek depot until Wright should
arrive, giving him positive instructions to remain there until the
return of the exploring party from the Gulf of Carpentaria, which he
thought would be in about three or four months.

Burke started northwards on December 16, in company with Wills, King,
and Gray, taking with them six camels, one horse, and provisions for
three months, while Brahe, three men, and a native were left at the
Creek with the rest of the horses and camels.

* * * * *

The expedition was now in three parts, and Wright, who perhaps knew more
about the uncertainty of the seasons and the terrible consequences of
drought than any of the party, still delayed leaving Menindie with his
contingent, though he well knew that as the summer advanced the greater
would be the difficulty to travel.

He had become faint-hearted, and every day invented some new excuse for
not leaving. One day it was that there were not enough camels and horses
to carry the necess