and the district of Cooper's Creek, with the all-important question
of water in view, my son must have gone over little short of a
thousand miles. When he lost his camels he had seen smoke in the
direction of north by east, which he believed to be a native fire,
but the disaster frustrated his attempts to ascertain the fact.
Unable thoroughly to assure his leader on the point of water, the
more western course was adopted at the commencement of the journey,
for a day or two, after which they turned to the east, and scarcely
deviated throughout from the 141st degree of eastern longitude.

The party left Cooper's Creek on the morning of the 16th of
December, 1860. It consisted of Mr. Burke, Mr. Wills, King, and
Gray, (or Charley as my son calls him in his journal); one horse,
and six camels. It appears strange to me that they did not take
more horses. As they had been living on horseflesh so much they
would have increased their available food, in addition to the
facility of carrying burthens.

Mr. Brahe remained at Cooper's Creek depot with Patten, McDonough,
Dost Mahomet, an Indian, six camels, and twelve horses. He was left
in charge until the arrival of Mr. Wright or some other person duly
appointed by the committee to take command of the remainder of the
expedition at Menindie. A surveyor also was expected to assist my
son, and plenty of work was laid out for all, until Mr. Burke's
return, had the authorities known how to employ the proper people
and employed them in time.

There can be no doubt that Brahe received MOST POSITIVE ORDERS TO
REMAIN AT COOPER'S CREEK UNTIL THE RETURN OF THE EXPLORING PARTY
FROM THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA. Three and four months were named as