possibility of my returning that night with the water-kegs which I had taken to be filled at some wells which they had seen in the vicinity, I relinquished all idea of proceeding, while the sun was then touching the horizon, and we accordingly rejoined Mr. Spofforth and his charge.  We were now perfectly satisfied of the wandering inconsistency in the conversation of the three rescued men, who were evidently to a considerable extent delirious or light-headed.  Being too sore in body and excited in mind to admit much sleep to their assistance, they were full of their expressions of thankfulness for their timely deliverance, and at length terminated a long and weary night.

Discovery of his body.

The morrow’s dawn found me on my way with Kinchela and Warrup to search for poor Smith, while Mr. Spofforth proceeded with the three rescued men and Wyip to join our party at Kadjelup, 12 miles off.  At the distance of a mile and a half we found the guns of Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith, which the men had buried among the sandhills from inability to carry them any further.  A close scrutiny of the beach brought us, at the end of ten miles, to a spot where Warrup observed the traces of feet in the sand.  Following them up, they ascended a bare sandhill to the height of twelve or fourteen feet, turned short round to the left, and there terminated at the unfortunate object of our search, extended on his back, lifeless, in the midst of a thick bush, where he seemed to have laid himself down to sleep, half-enveloped in his blanket.  The poor fellow’s last bed appeared to have been selected by himself; and at the distance of three or four yards from him lay all the trifling articles which had constituted his travelling equipage.  These were his wooden canteen, his brown felt hat, and haversack, containing his journal, shoes, tinder, steel, gun-screw, a few small canvas bags which he had used for carrying shellfish, and a small bag with thread, needles, and buttons.  Life seemed to have been extinct rather more than two days; and from the position of the head, which had fallen considerably below the level of the body, we were led to conclude that a rush of blood into the brain had caused his death, and at last without much suffering.

Burial of Mr. Smith.

With the help of the soldier and Warrup we made a grave with our hands and buried poor Smith deep in a sandhill near the shore, about seventy-six miles to the north of Swan River.  Even Warrup, notwithstanding the general apathy of the native character, wept like a child over the untimely fate of this young man, from whom he had formerly received kindness.  Smoothing over his solitary bed, and placing at the head of his grave a piece of wood found upon the beach, we pursued our melancholy way half a mile to the northward, where we found the water to which we had been directed by digging 12 inches in the sand at the commencement