inued to do this for a few days; but finding my strength
rapidly failing, my legs being very weak and painful, I was unable
to go out for several days, and we were compelled to consume six
days' stock which we had laid by. Mr. Burke now proposed that I
should gather as much as possible in three days, and that with this
supply we should go in search of the natives--a plan which had been
urged upon us by Mr. Wills as the only chance of saving him and
ourselves as well, as he clearly saw that I was no longer able to
collect sufficient for our wants. Having collected the seed as
proposed, and having pounded sufficient to last Mr. Wills for eight
days, and two days for ourselves, we placed water and firewood
within his reach and started; before leaving him, however, Mr.
Burke asked him whether he still wished it, as under no other
circumstance would he leave him, and Mr. Wills again said that he
looked on it as our only chance. He then gave Mr. Burke a letter
and his watch for his father, and we buried the remainder of the
field-books near the gunyah. Mr. Wills said that, in case of my
surviving Mr. Burke, he hoped that I would carry out his last
wishes, in giving the watch and letter to his father.

In travelling the first day, Mr. Burke seemed very weak, and
complained of great pain in his legs and back. On the second day he
seemed to be better, and said that he thought he was getting
stronger, but on starting, did not go two miles before he said he
could go no further. I persisted in his trying to go on, and
managed to get him along several times, until I saw that he was
almost knocked up, when he said he could not carry his swag, and
threw all he had away. I also reduced mine, taking nothing but a
gun and some powder and shot, and a small pouch and some matches.
In starting again, we did not go far before Mr. Burke said we
should halt for the night; but as the place was close to a large
sheet of water, and exposed to the wind, I prevailed on him to go a
little further, to the next reach of water, where we camped. We
searched about and found a few small patches of nardoo, which I
collected and pounded, and with a crow, which I shot, made a good
evening's meal. From the time we halted Mr. Burke seemed to be
getting worse, although he ate his supper; he said he felt
convinced he could not last many hours, and gave me his watch,
which he said belonged to the committee, and a pocket-book to give
to Sir William Stawell, and