In travelling the first day, Mr. Burke seemed very weak and complained of great pain in his legs and back.  On the second day he seemed to be better, and said that he thought he was getting stronger, but, on starting, did not go two miles before he said he could go no further.  I persisted in his trying to go on, and managed to get him along several times, until I saw that he was almost knocked up, when he said he could not carry his swag, and threw all he had away.  I also reduced mine, taking nothing but a gun and some powder and shot and a small pouch and some matches.  On starting again we did not go far before Mr. Burke said we should halt for the night, but, as the place was close to a large sheet of water, and exposed to the wind, I prevailed to go a little further, to the next reach of water where we camped.

We searched about and found a few small patches of nardoo, which I collected and pounded, and with a crow, which I shot, made a good evening’s meal.  From the time we halted, Mr. Burke seemed to be getting worse, although he ate his supper.  He said he felt convinced he could not last many hours, and gave me his watch, which, he said, belonged to the Committee; and a pocket-book, to give to Sir William Stawell, and in which he wrote some notes.  He then said to me:  “I hope you will remain with me here till I am quite dead—­it is a comfort to know that some one is by; but when I am dying, it is my wish that you should place the pistol in my right hand, and that you leave me unburied as I lie.”  That night he spoke very little, and the following morning I found him speechless, or nearly so; and about eight o’clock he expired.  I remained a few hours there, but as I saw there was no use in remaining longer, I went up the creek in search of the natives.  I felt very lonely, and at night usually slept in deserted wurleys, belonging to the natives.  Two days after leaving the spot where Mr. Burke died, I found some gunyahs, where the natives had deposited a bag of nardoo, sufficient to last me a fortnight, and three bundles containing various articles.  I also shot a crow that evening, but was in great dread that the natives would come and deprive me of the nardoo.

I remained there two days to recover my strength, and then returned to Mr. Wills.  I took back three crows; but found him lying dead in his gunyah, and the natives had been there and had taken away some of his clothes.  I buried the corpse with sand, and remained some days; but finding that my stock of nardoo was running short, and being unable to gather it, I tracked the natives who had been to the camp by their foot-prints in the sand, and went some distance down the creek, shooting crows and hawks on the road.  The natives hearing the report of the gun, came to meet me, and took me with them to their camp, giving me nardoo and fish.  They took the birds I had shot and cooked them for me, and afterwards showed me a gunyah, where I was to sleep with three of the single men.