. . .

Brahe having quitted Cooper’s Creek, as we have seen, on the 21st of April, retraced his steps, towards the Darling.  On the 28th or 29th (there is a doubt about the exact date), he fell in with Wright’s party at Bulloo, and placed himself under his orders.  On the 29th, Dr. Becker died.  On the 1st of May they left Bulloo, on their return to Menindie.  On the 3rd, Wright makes the following entry in his diary:—­

Friday, Koorliatto.—­As I was anxious to ascertain, before finally leaving the country, whether Mr. Burke had visited the old depot at Cooper’s Creek, between the present date and that on which he left on his advance northward, or whether the stores cached there had been disturbed by the natives, I started with Mr. Brahe and three horses for Cooper’s Creek and reached the head waters of that creek on Sunday, the 5th May, in about seventy miles, steering about west-north-west.  I did not find any water throughout the distance, but crossed several fine large gum creeks, and saw an immense number of native dogs.

Thursday, May 9th.—­This morning I reached Cooper’s Creek depot, and found no sign of Mr. Burke having visited the creek, or of the natives having disturbed the stores.  I therefore retraced my steps to the depot that remained at Koorliatto.

. . .

On the examination of Wright and Brahe before the Royal Commission, it came out that they did not remain more than a quarter of an hour at Cooper’s Creek depot, casting only a hurried glance around; and believing that no one had been there, never thought of opening the cache to identify the fact.  Had they done so, they would have found the papers and letters deposited by Mr. Burke, and all would yet have been well.  It is much to be regretted, and may excite some surprise, that Burke and my son, after opening and closing up the cache, affixed no external token of their having been there.  But the apathy, stupidity, and carelessness of Wright and Brahe are really beyond comprehension.  The effect of their miserably evasive and contradictory evidence, when under examination, can never be forgotten by those who were present.  They, too, left no indications of their useless visit.  It will be remembered that twenty-two days after, on the 30th of May, my son returned to Cooper’s Creek for the last time, and deposited his journals and letters in the cache.

The following extracts from Mr. Howitt’s diary relate the discovery of King, with the finding and interment of the remains of Mr. Burke and my son.

September 14th, 1861.—­Latitude, 27 degrees 4 minutes; longitude 140 degrees 4 minutes.—­Camped on a large waterhole, about a quarter of a mile below Mr. Burke’s first camp, after leaving the depot at Cooper’s Creek.  We could see where the camels had been tied up, but found no marked tree.  To-day I noticed in two or three places old camel-droppings and tracks, where Mr. Brahe informed me he was certain their camels had never been, as they were watched every day near the depot and tied up at night.  Mr. Burke’s camels were led on the way down.  It looked very much as if stray camels had been about during the last four months.  The tracks seemed to me to be going up the creek, but the ground was too strong to be able to make sure.