Besides, there can be no doubt that Mr.
Burke kept a journal, though perhaps not a complete one, and of
which a very small portion has come to hand. In it he mentions a
difficult pass they went through on the route to Carpentaria, of
which my son does not speak. King confirms Mr. Burke's statement,
and says my son knew he had written it, which was the reason why he
did not himself repeat the same passage.
The Royal Commissioners in their Report said:
"It does not appear that Mr. Burke kept any regular journal, or
that he gave written instructions to his officers. Had he performed
these essential portions of the duties of a leader, many of the
calamities of the Expedition might have been averted, and little or
no room would have been left for doubt in judging the conduct of
those subordinates who pleaded unsatisfactory and contradictory
verbal orders and statements."
With all due submission and humility, I think this opinion too
conclusive, and formed on unsatisfactory evidence, as any statement
must be considered, proceeding from one who destroyed his own
credit by self-contradiction to the extent that Mr. Brahe did. He
admitted, on his examination, that he had burnt some of Mr.
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