Brahe, Welsh, Wheeler, and Aitkin. We searched the creek
upwards for eight miles, and at length, strange to say, found the
remains of Mr. Burke lying among tall plants under a clump of
box-trees, within two hundred yards of our last camp, and not
thirty paces from our track. It was still more extraordinary that
three or four of the party and the two black boys had been close to
the spot without noticing it. The bones were entire, with the
exception of the hands and feet; and the body had been removed from
the spot where it first lay, and where the natives had placed
branches over it, to about five paces' distance. I found the
revolver which Mr. Burke held in his hand when he expired partly
covered with leaves and earth, and corroded with rust. It was
loaded and capped. We dug a grave close to the spot, and interred
the remains wrapped in the union jack--the most fitting covering in
which the bones of a brave but unfortunate man could take their
last rest. On a box-tree, at the head of the grave, the following
inscription is cut in a similar manner to the above:--
R.O'H.B.
21/9/61
A.H.
September 23rd.--Went down the creek to-day in search of the natives
.
Pages:
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374