5 00 Appendix I. 



his party. In it Bralie said that they were all quite well except one, 

 and that the camels and horses were in good working condition. It was 

 this intelligence which induced Burke to decide to make a push for 

 South Australia. Had he known that Brahe's party, both men and 

 beasts, were really in a weak and exhausted state, as the slowness of 

 their rate of progression appears to prove, he would probably have 

 decided to follow in their track. Since Brake was under Wright's com- 

 mand at the time of their final return to Cooper's Creek, the lamentable 

 carelessness which, as we have already said, was displayed on that occa- 

 sion, cannot fairly be laid to his charge. It is almost impossible for us, 

 with the full knowledge of all the circumstances which we now possess, 

 not to allow our judgment to be influenced by the fact that, if Brahe had 

 postponed his departure for a few hours only, the melancholy catas- 

 trophe would not have occurred. If, however, we wish to judge him 

 fairly, we must not forget that this is a fact of which, at the time of his 

 departure, he was necessarily ignorant. On the whole, we are inclined 

 to agree with the verdict pronounced in his case by the Commissioners 

 who were appointed to inquii-e into the affair. ' His decision,' they 

 say, ' was most unfortimate ; but we believe he acted from a conscien- 

 tious desire to discharge his duty, and we are confident that the painful 

 reflection that twenty-four hours' further perseverance would have made 

 him the rescuer of the explorers, and gained for himself the praise and 

 approbation of all, must be of itself an agonizing thought, without the 

 addition of censure he might feel himself undeserving of.' 



" We have now to inquire into the manner in which Mr. Burke dis- 

 charged his duties as leader of the expedition, with a view of ascertain- 

 ing whether its melancholy termination can, in any degree, be traced to 

 any fault, whether of omission or of commission, on his part. If we are 

 willing to submit ourselves absolutely to Mr. Jackson's guidance, we may, 

 indeed, spare ourselves this trouble ; for he asserts most distinctly that 

 Mr. Burke invariably did what was best under existing circumstances, 

 and that he never neglected any precaution which coidd tend in any way 

 to bring his undertaking to a successful issue. But we must remember 

 that Mr. Jackson comes forward as the avowed advocate of Mr, Burke ; 

 and, while we are not one whit behind him in enthusiastic admiration for 

 the energy and self-devotion displayed by his hero, we must not allow 



