(Signed) Robert O’HARA Burke, Leader.

April 22, 1861.

P.S.  The camels cannot travel, and we cannot walk, or we should follow the other party.  We shall move very slowly down the creek.

. . .

My son’s journal is now written in a more complete and consecutive form.  He had no instruments for observation or mapping, so that his time and mind were concentrated on the one employment.

April, 1861.—­Journal of trip from Cooper’s creek towards Adelaide.

The advance party of the V.E.E., consisting of Burke, Wills, and King (Gray being dead), having returned from Carpentaria, on the 21st April, 1861, in an exhausted and weak state, and finding that the depot party left at Cooper’s Creek had started for the Darling with their horses and camels fresh and in good condition, deemed it useless to attempt to overtake them, having only two camels, both done up, and being so weak themselves as to be unable to walk more than four or five miles a day.  Finding also that the provisions left at the depot for them would scarcely take them to Menindie, they started down Cooper’s Creek for Adelaide, via Mount Hopeless, on the morning of 23rd April, 1861, intending to follow as nearly as possible, the route taken by Gregory.  By so doing they hoped to be able to recruit themselves and the camels whilst sauntering slowly down the creek, and to have sufficient provisions left to take them comfortably, or at least without risk, to some station in South Australia.

Their equipment consists of the following articles:—­Flour, 50 pounds; sugar, 60 pounds; rice, 20 pounds; oatmeal, 60 pounds; jerked meat, 25 pounds; ginger, 2 pounds; salt, 1 pound.—­[Then follow some native words with their meanings.]

From Depot.

Tuesday, 23rd April, 1861.—­Having collected together all the odds and ends that seemed likely to be of use to us, in addition to provisions left in the plant, we started at 9.15 A.M., keeping down the southern bank of the creek; we only went about five miles, and camped at 11.30 on a billibong, where the feed was pretty good.  We find the change of diet already making a great improvement in our spirits and strength.  The weather is delightful, days agreeably warm, but the nights very chilly.  The latter is more noticeable from our deficiency in clothing, the depot party having taken all the reserve things back with them to the Darling.—­To Camp 1.

From Camp 1.

Wednesday, 24th April, 1861.—­As we were about to start this morning, some blacks came by, from whom we were fortunate enough to get about twelve pounds of fish for a few pieces of straps and some matches, etc.  This is a great treat for us, as well as a valuable addition to our rations.  We started at 8.15 P.M., on our way down the creek, the blacks going in the opposite direction, little thinking that in a few miles they might be able to get lots of pieces for nothing, better than those they had obtained from us.  —­To Camp 2.