Mr. Brahe remained at Cooper’s Creek depot with Patten, McDonough, Dost Mahomet, an Indian, six camels, and twelve horses.  He was left in charge until the arrival of Mr. Wright or some other person duly appointed by the committee to take command of the remainder of the expedition at Menindie.  A surveyor also was expected to assist my son, and plenty of work was laid out for all, until Mr. Burke’s return, had the authorities known how to employ the proper people and employed them in time.

There can be no doubt that Brahe received most positive orders to remain at Cooper’s creek until the return of the exploring party from the gulf of carpentaria.  Three and four months were named as the possible time of absence.  Brahe did remain over four months; but even then it was in his power to have waited much longer, and he ought to have done so.  But the man was over-weighted; the position was too much for him, and he gave way when a stronger mind might have stood firm.  The worst point about him appears to be his want of consistency and miserable prevarication; but this may have been weakness rather than absolute absence of principle, or of any due sense of right or wrong.  He was unfit to direct, but he might have been directed.  Mr. Burke has been blamed for trusting Brahe; but he was the best of those who remained behind, and there were not many to choose from.  King has since told me that it was by my son’s advice Brahe was appointed, and that the arrival of the party from Menindie was considered so certain, that the appointment was looked upon only as a temporary affair.  It has been also said that King might have been left behind in charge, and Brahe taken on.  This arrangement, eligible in some respects, was open to objection in others.  Brahe could travel by compass and observation, which King could not; and one so qualified might be wanted for a journey to Menindie.

The details of the journey are given as follows, in my son’s Field Books, numbered from 1 to 7 consecutively, transcribed by Dr. Mueller, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Cooper.  I was associated with them as a matter of personal delicacy to the memory of the deceased explorer.

Mr. Wills’s journal.

Field book 1.

Cooper’s creek to carpentaria.

[The omissions in this diary are supplied by the information contained in the maps, with the exception of the last two days on the shore of the Gulf.]