Appendix I. 499 



the Creek. It is scarcely possible to imagine how, under such circum- 

 stances, he could have omitted to examine the cache made by Brahe a 

 few days before, in which case he would have discovered that Burke's 

 party had returned to the Creek, and would have learnt the direction in 

 which they had gone. When questioned on this point by the Commis- 

 sioners, he replied that he had noticed traces of natives about the place, 

 and feared that if he disturbed the ground where the stores were hid 

 they would see that something was buried there, and would plunder the 

 cache. He 'had not the presence of mind,' he went on, to add any 

 mark of his own to the inscription which Brahe had cut upon the tree. 

 He seems, in fact, to have been thoroughly sick of the whole business, 

 and to have thought of nothing but getting back to the settled districts 

 with all possible speed. 



" We must now inquire what amount of blame can be fairly attached 

 to Mr. Brahe, whose departure from Cooper's Creek was the immediate 

 cause of the melancholy end of Messrs. Burke and Wills. He appears 

 to have received instructions to remain at the Creek until the return of 

 Burke's party, or, at any rate, until the failure of his provisions obliged 

 him to retreat. Burke fixed three months as the probable duration of 

 his absence ; but Wills seems to have impressed upon Brahe that it was 

 quite possible they might have been away for at least four mouths. 

 Brahe did actually remain there more than four months — from Decem- 

 ber 16th to April 21st ; — but he left before he was absolutely compelled to 

 do so. Even supposing him not to have overrated the supply of pro- 

 visions necessary to carry his party back to the Darling, he could clearly 

 have remained until he had consumed the stores which he left behind 

 him at the Creek. But we must not forget that he was placed in a very 

 difficult position. One of his companions was dangerously ill, and had 

 for some time beset him with entreaties to return to Menindie ; and all 

 his party seem to have thought it very doubtful whether Burke would 

 return that way at all. In Brahe's diary, on April 18th, we find the 

 entry, ' There is no probability of Mr. Burke returning this way.' Here 

 the observation suggests itself that, had this been his real conviction, 

 there was no occasion for him to deprive himself of the stores which he 

 left behind him. Mr. Jackson points out that the letter left by Brahe 

 in the cache at the Creek did not give a true account of the condition of 



