He presented a
melancholy appearance--wasted to a shadow, and hardly to be
distinguished as a civilized being but by the remnants of clothes
upon him. He seemed exceedingly weak, and I found it occasionally
difficult to follow what he said. The natives were all gathered
round, seated on the ground, looking with a most gratified and
delighted expression.
September 18th.--Left camp this morning with Messrs. Brahe, Welsh,
Wheeler, and King, to perform a melancholy duty, which has weighed
on my mind ever since we have encamped here, and which I have only
put off until King should be well enough to accompany us. We
proceeded down the creek for seven miles, crossing a branch running
to the southward, and followed a native track leading to that part
of the creek where Mr. Burke, Mr. Wills, and King encamped after
their unsuccessful attempt to reach Mount Hopeless and the northern
settlements of South Australia, and where poor Wills died. We found
the two gunyahs situated on a sand-bank between two waterholes and
about a mile from the flat where they procured nardoo seed, on
which they managed to exist so long. Poor Wills's remains we found
lying in the wurley in which he died, and where King, after his
return from seeking for the natives, had buried him with sand and
rushes.
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