at once to gather it; but they found that,
through want of skill, they could scarcely obtain enough for two meals a
day by working from morning till night; and, when evening came, they had
to clean, roast, and grind it; and, besides this, whatever it might have
been to the blacks, to them it was by no means nutritious--it made them
sick, and gave them no strength.

Whilst they were thus dwelling on the lower part of Cooper's Creek,
several miles away from the depot, Brahe had returned to find them and
bring them relief. On his way home he had met with Wright leisurely
coming up, and had hastened back with him to the depot; but when
they reached it they saw no signs of Burke and Wills, although the
unfortunate explorers had been there only a few days before. Brahe,
therefore, concluded that they were dead, and once more set out for
home. Meanwhile Burke thought it possible that a relief party might in
this way have reached the creek, and Wills volunteered to go to the
depot to see if any one was there. He set out by himself, and after
journeying three or four days reached the place; but only to find it
still and deserted. He examined it carefully, but could see no trace of
its having been recently visited; there could be no advantage in
remaining, and he turned back to share the doom of his companions. He
now began to endure fearful pangs from hunger. One evening he entered an
encampment that had just been abandoned by the natives, and around the
fire there were some fish bones, which he greedily picked. Next day he
saw two small fish floating dead upon a pool, and they made a delicious
feast; but, in spite of these stray morsels, he was rapidly sinking from
hunger, when suddenly he was met by a native tribe. The black men were
exceedingly kind; one carried his bundle for him, another supported his
feeble frame, and gently they led the gaunt and emaciated white man to
their camp. They made him sit down and gave him a little food. Whilst he
was eating he saw a great quantity of fish on the fire. For a few
minutes he wondered if all these could possibly be for him, till at
length they were cooked and the plentiful repast was placed before him.
The natives then gathered round and clapped their hands with delight
when they saw him eat heartily. He stayed with them for four days, and
then set out to bring his friends to enjoy likewise this simple
hospitality. It took him some days to reach the place where he had left
them; bu