HISTORICAL REVIEW OP VICTORIA. 



353 



afforded them an insufficient protection against the low temperature to which they were 

 exposed at night ; and their bodies (enfeebled by the meagre and innutritions food 

 derivable- from the seed of the nanhw, pounded into powder, and then baked), were 

 incapable of offering any effectual resistance to disease. Wills was the first to feel the 



approach of death, and begged of 

 Burke and King to seek for the 

 blackfellows as their only chance of 

 salvation by procuring food. They 

 did so, although reluctant to leave 



their comrade 

 in a position 

 so critical, 

 and after a 

 weary and in- 

 effectual jour- 

 ney of from 



twelve to fifteen miles Burke felt himself too 

 much exhausted to proceed any further. In 

 the night he was conscious that his end was 

 near, gave his last instructions to his faithful 

 companion, ami about eight o'clock in the morn- 

 ing of the 291)1 of June breathed his last, and King was left alone. 



I' aim and famishing, the brave survivor, determined to persevere in his efforts to 

 procure some food for Wills, was fortunate enough to find a large supply of nardoo 

 in a deserted gunyah, with which he retraced his steps to where he had left the second 

 of his leaders. I- our days had been unavoidably consumed in going and coming, and 

 poignant were the grief and dismay of the forlorn wayfarer on discovering that he had 

 returned to a corpse. King remained with it, having for a fortnight no other com- 

 panions but his own sad thoughts, and then covering up the emaciated body as best 

 he could, he set out in search of a tribe of blacks. On finding one he was at first 

 kindly received, but was presently regarded as a burdensome encumbrance. He continued 



