he would be back
within a brief stated period, and that Mr. Brahe was not to wait
for him at the depot beyond three months. Mr. Brahe's statement, in
fact, throws very little light upon the probabilities of Mr.
Burke's future course, after leaving the depot at Cooper's Creek.
He accompanied him one day's journey, some twenty miles or so, on
his way towards the north. But he seems to know very little of what
Mr. Burke's ultimate intentions were. Perhaps, indeed, Mr. Burke
himself had no very definite scheme sketched out in his own mind,
as to any settled purpose for the future, beyond his trying to make
the best of his way in the direction of the Gulf of Carpentaria. He
probably never entertained the idea of its being necessary to plan
out various different alternatives to adopt, in case of the failure
of any one particular course of proceeding. The facility and
despatch with which he had got over the ground to Cooper's Creek
may have produced too confident a state of mind as to the future.
And his having learned that Stuart had, with only two or three
companions, advanced within a couple of days' journey of the
northern coast, would tend greatly to increase that too confident
tone of mind. Both circumstances were likely to produce a feeling,
especially in a sanguine temperament like Burke's, that there was
no need of his arranging beforehand, and leaving behind him, with
Mr. Brahe, plans of intended procedure on his part, the knowledge
of which would subsequently give a clue to his fate, in case of his
continued absence. He seems not to have formed any anticipation of
a vessel being sent round to meet him on the north coast, according
to Mr. Brahe's account.

What then did he propose to do, and what is likely to have become
of him? The fear forces itself upon us, that, acting under the
influence of excessive confidence, arising from the causes already
referred to, Mr. Burke and his little band of three companions went
forth towards the north in a state of mind unprepared to meet
insurmountable obstacles; that difficulties, arising chiefly from
want of water, sprung up in his path, and assumed greater magnitude
than the previous experience of the expedition could have led them
to anticipate; and that if the little party has not succumbed to
these difficulties before now, they are to be sought for either on
the northern coast, by a vessel to be sent there for that purpose,
or in the country towards the Gulf of Carpentar