ives, as a last resource.
Death of Mr. Burke.
King returns and finds Mr. Wills dead in the Gunyah.
He falls in with the Natives and wanders about with them until
delivered by Mr. Howitt's party.
Extract from Mr. Howitt's Diary.
Extract from Mr. McKinlay's Diary.
My Son's last Letter to me, dated June 27th, 1861.
Strong Attachment between Mr. Burke and my Son.
King delivers the Letter and Watch intrusted to him.
With some difficulty I recover the Pistol.
King's Reception in Melbourne.
Sir H. Barkly's Letter to Sir Roderick Murchison.
Summary of Events and their Causes.

THE latter portion of my poor son's journal was transcribed by Mr.
Archer, Registrar-General of Victoria. We may believe that after
writing the last paragraph to which he subscribed his name, he did
not survive for many hours. The sequel, as far as any of its details
can ever be made known to us, is best told in the unaffected language of

JOHN KING'S NARRATIVE,

AS DELIVERED TO THE ROYAL COMMISSION.

Mr. Burke, Mr. Wills, and I, reached the depot at Cooper's Creek,
on April 21st, about half-past seven in the evening, with two
camels; all that remained of the six Mr. Burke took with him. All
the provisions we then had consisted of one-and-a-half pound of
dried meat. We found the party had gone the same day; and looking
about for any mark they might have left, found the tree with 'DIG,
Ap. 21.' Mr. Wills said the party had left for the Darling. We dug
and found the plant of stores. Mr. Burke took the papers out of the
bottle, and then asked each of us whether we were able to proceed
up the creek in pursuit of the party; we said not, and he then said
that he thought it his duty to ask us, but that he himself was
unable to do so, but that he had decided upon trying to make Mount
Hopeless, as he had been assured by the Committee in Melbourne,
that there was a cattle station within 150 miles of Cooper's Creek.
Mr. Wills was not inclined to follow this plan, and wished to go
down our old track; but at last gave in to Mr. Burke's wishes. I
also wished to go down by our old track. We remained four or five
days to recruit, making preparations to go down the creek by stages
of four or five miles a day, and Mr. Burke placed a paper in the
plant stating what were our plans. Travelling down the creek, we
got some fish from the natives; and some distance down, one of the
camels (Landa) got bogged, and although we remained there that day
and part of the nex