’for something to turn up;’ starvation on nardoo is by no means very unpleasant, but for the weakness one feels, and the utter inability to move one’s self; for as far as appetite is concerned, it gives the greatest satisfaction.  Certainly fat and sugar would be more to one’s taste; in fact those seem to me to be the great stand-by for one in this extraordinary continent:  not that I mean to depreciate the farinaceous food; but the want of sugar and fat in all substances obtainable here is so great that they become almost valueless to us as articles of food, without the addition of something else.

(Signed) W.J.  Wills.

CHAPTER 13.

King’s Narrative. 
Mr. Burke and King go in search of the Natives, as a last resource. 
Death of Mr. Burke. 
King returns and finds Mr. Wills dead in the Gunyah. 
He falls in with the Natives and wanders about with them until
   delivered by Mr. Howitt’s party. 
Extract from Mr. Howitt’s Diary. 
Extract from Mr. McKinlay’s Diary. 
My Son’s last Letter to me, dated June 27th, 1861. 
Strong Attachment between Mr. Burke and my Son. 
King delivers the Letter and Watch intrusted to him. 
With some difficulty I recover the Pistol. 
King’s Reception in Melbourne. 
Sir H. Barkly’s Letter to Sir Roderick Murchison. 
Summary of Events and their Causes.

The latter portion of my poor son’s journal was transcribed by Mr. Archer, Registrar-General of Victoria.  We may believe that after writing the last paragraph to which he subscribed his name, he did not survive for many hours.  The sequel, as far as any of its details can ever be made known to us, is best told in the unaffected language of

John King’s narrative,

As delivered to the Royal commission.

Mr. Burke, Mr. Wills, and I, reached the depot at Cooper’s Creek, on April 21st, about half-past seven in the evening, with two camels; all that remained of the six Mr. Burke took with him.  All the provisions we then had consisted of one-and-a-half pound of dried meat.  We found the party had gone the same day; and looking about for any mark they might have left, found the tree with ’dig, Ap. 21.’  Mr. Wills said the party had left for the Darling.  We dug and found the plant of stores.  Mr. Burke took the papers out of the bottle, and then asked each of us whether we were able to proceed up the creek in pursuit of the party; we said not, and he then said that he thought it his duty to ask us, but that he himself was unable to do so, but that he had decided upon trying to make Mount Hopeless, as he had been assured by the Committee in Melbourne, that there was a cattle station within 150 miles of Cooper’s Creek.  Mr. Wills was not inclined to follow this plan, and wished to go down our old track; but at