AppcndLv I. 501 



our respect for these qualities to blind us to any defects which we think 

 we can detect in the conduct of the expedition. The report of the Com- 

 mission, appointed by the Victorian Government to inquire into the cir- 

 cumstances connected with the death of Burke and Wills, finds fault with 

 Burke on several points, which we will proceed to consider in detail. In 

 tlie first place, it pronounces that Burke acted ' most injudiciously ' in 

 dividing his party at Menindie. We are not sure that we can entirely 

 concur in this verdict. We do not see any evidence that Burke intend- 

 ed the depot at Menindie to be a permanent one. On the contrary, it 

 seems clear that he intended it to have been transferred bodily to Cooper's 

 Creek. On his arrival at JMenindie, Dr. Beckler's refusal to proceed 

 further placed him in an awkward position. As Beckler had no objec- 

 tion to remain at Menindie, Burke resolved to make his services available 

 as far as possible, and left him there with a section of the partj^ in 

 charge of the heavier stores, while he himself pushed on towards Cooper's 

 Creek under the guidance of Mr. Wright. The division of the party 

 did not in any way retard or imperil Burke's arrival at Cooper's Creek ; 

 and he seems to have looked forward to the union of all his forces at 

 that place before he proceeded further. As soon as he was convinced 

 that Wright was worthy of confidence, he appointed him third ofiicer of 

 the expedition, and sent him back to bring the remainder of the party 

 to Cooper's Creek without delay, at the same time accepting Beckler's 

 resignation, and relieving him from any further charge. We cannot 

 therefore see that the division of the party at Menindie was directly pro- 

 ductive of any evil consequences, nor would any harm have resulted 

 from it, but for Wright's flagrant neglect of the instructions of his chief. 

 In the next place, the report pronounces that ' it was an error of judg- 

 ment on the part of Mr. Burke to appoint Mr. Wright to an important 

 command in the expedition, without a previous personal knowledge of 

 him.' On this point we think there is good ground for the censure of 

 the Commission. That Burke was, as it were, driven into a corner by 

 the resignation of Landells and Beckler is quite true ; but it is diflicult 

 to imagine that he should not have been able (supposing him to possess 

 any insight into character at all) to detect, during. the time that he and 

 AVright were together, some indication of the gross incompetence which 

 the latter subsequently displayed. Mr. Jackson endeavours to shift the 



