BURKE AND WILLS'S EXPEDITION ACROSS THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT.
The golden age of Australian exploration dates from 1860. The preceding
half-century is rich in heroic efforts put forth in this direction, and
bears witness to many a conquest over the mysterious interior as the
fruit of much self-sacrifice. Yet these results, as a class, were of a
secondary character, only sometimes answering the hopes of the explorers
themselves, and not doing so at all when these expectations rose to the
ambition of crossing the continent. But those days of comparative
failure are now over, and 1860 marks the commencement of a bright and
glorious era for the explorers of this hitherto dark continent. Within
the space of the next two years Australia was crossed no fewer than six
times, by as many expeditions. The foremost place in time, as well as
interest, belongs to Burke and Wills, and for this reason the story of
their victory and sufferings will form the subject of the present
chapter.
Victoria has the credit of this expedition. The movement originated in
the offer of £1,000 by Mr. Ambrose Kyte, on condition of this sum being
doubled by voluntary subscriptions. The terms were soon complied with,
after which the Government generously came to its aid by a vote of
£5,500. The arrangements were undertaken by a committee of the Royal
Society, and, as the funds were ample, it was determined to equip the
expedition on the most liberal scale. As a new feature in exploration,
two dozen camels were imported from India, and every provision was made
to secure the object on which the young colony had set its heart. The
only difficulty that remained was to find a competent leader. After much
delay had been occasioned through unsuccessful negotiation, the command
was finally given to an enthusiastic volunteer named Robert O'Hara
Burke. This remarkable man was a native of Ireland, but was educated in
Belgium, and had served as an officer in the Austrian cavalry. He
subsequently returned to the "Green Isle," and entered the constabulary
force. Having emigrated to Australia he received a similar appointment,
and held the position of inspector of police when this new honour was
conferred upon him. He was a brave and generous man--few, indeed, have
been more heroic and faithful--but, as he possessed little acquaintance
with Australian exploration, and was destitute of special qualifications
for the work, his appointment has generally been regarded as a mistake
on the part of the committee. The position of second in command, with
the office of astronomical observer, was conferred on William John
Wills, who had been born in Devonshire as late as 1834. He came out to
Australia while a mere youth, and for a time had to betake himself to
the humble occupation of shepherd, but being well educated and
possessing excellent gifts of head and heart, he soon rose to the
position of a government surveyor, and afterwards obtained the
honourable office of assistant astronomer in the Melbourne Observatory.
The expedition, when fully organized, consisted of 15 men and 24 camels,
with twelve months' provisions, weighing in all 21 tons. The start was
made from Melbourne on the 20th of August, 1860--an imposing spectacle,
which has yet left its impression on the memories of many of the older
inhabitants of that city. By the committee's direction, they were to
march first to the Darling, next to the Lower Barcoo (Cooper's Creek),
and then strike northward for the Gulf of Carpentaria. Melbourne had
been left too late in the season, and this disadvantage was aggravated
by delays occasioned by the unwieldiness of the expedition and
insubordination on the part of some of the men. At length Menindie, on
the Darling, was reached. The name is new in the history of exploration,
but the locality is in the neighbourhood of Laidley Ponds, a quarter
which was then well known to the readers of Sturt and Mitchell. Burke
formed a depôt here, in which he left the greater part of his men and
some beasts of burden to recruit from the fatigues of their toilsome
journey. Taking Wills, together with six men and 15 camels, he made his
arrangements for a quick journey across to the Barcoo. It had been his
intention to follow Sturt's old track, but he was dissuaded from his
purpose by a Mr. Wright, superintendent of a neighbouring pastoral
station, who told him of a better route further to the north, and
volunteered to conduct the party over it in person. Both the advice and
the offer were accepted; nor did experience fail to justify the change
of plan. Travelling was agreeable on this new route, and water found at
intervals of not more than 20 miles. The march from Menindie to
Torowotto was little short of a pleasure excursion, and Burke, with the
generosity which was part of his nature, now associated Wright
permanently with the expedition, giving him the position of third in
command. Being no longer needed as a guide, he was sent back from this
place to the depôt on the Darling, with orders to bring forward the
heavy supplies with all convenient speed. The advance party continued
their progress into the interior, and, on the 11th of November, struck
the Barcoo, which was followed until a suitable place was found where
they might encamp till the arrival of Wright with the remainder of the
expedition. The delay proved to be longer than had been expected; and,
that the time might not be altogether lost, some explorations were made
in the surrounding country, and several promising routes to the Gulf
were examined with little satisfactory result. Worst of all, some of the
camels were lost, and although much time was consumed in the search,
they were never seen again by the explorers. Wright's delay was becoming
as vexatious as it seemed to be inexcusable. Six weeks had passed away
since he left Burke, and yet the whole distance from Menindie to the
encampment on the Barcoo had been traversed by the advance party in
twenty-two days. Chafed and irritated almost to madness under the
disappointment, Burke determined to endure it no longer, and resolved
"to dash into the interior, and cross the continent at all hazards." For
this purpose he again divided his party, taking with himself Wills and
two others, named King and Gray, together with six camels, one horse,
and twelve weeks' provisions. The camp was now transformed into a
permanent depôt, in which were left four men, six camels, and four
horses. One of the party named Brahe was put in command, with
instructions to erect a stockade as a means of defence against the
natives, and to detain Wright after his arrival with supplies. Burke was
now entering upon the real difficulties of his gigantic undertaking, and
had at command only a mere fraction of the means which he had brought
out of Melbourne. But of hope and courage he had lost nothing. On the
16th of December he took leave of Brahe and his men, telling them, with
his wonted generosity, that if he were not back in three months, they
might consult for their own welfare as should appear to be necessary.
Burke and Wills, together with their brave companions King and Gray, now
plunged into the unknown deserts and shaped their course for
Carpentaria. During the earlier stage the whole party rode on the camels
or the one horse that accompanied them, but the animals got weary, and
it became necessary to trudge it on foot. Burke and Wills walked ahead,
carrying a rifle and a revolver, while King and Gray followed with the
beasts of burden. Their progress was necessarily slow, even though they
had not encountered serious obstacles of a physical kind. Comfort, or
anything approaching to it, was utterly unknown. Night after night the
toil-worn wanderers encamped _sub Jove frigido_, without tents or
covering of any sort. Yet these hardships were endured without murmur or
regret. Burke is reported to have said he would not care though he had
only a shirt on his back, if so be that he could cross Australia. It is
impossible to give ample details of this northward journey, for the
materials are scanty. Burke was not much of a literary character, and
found it too irksome a task to keep a diary. Wills was vastly superior
in this respect, but yet his journal, otherwise so satisfactory, is
defective here. This much is certain, that they pursued a north-westerly
course through the interior, by way of what was afterwards known as
M'Kinlay Range, discovering and naming Gray and Wills creeks, Mount
Standish, and other topographical positions which have since become
prominent landmarks. By the 27th of January they had crossed the
northern watershed and come on to the Cloncurry, which led them to the
Flinders. This river was mistaken for the Albert, but was scrupulously
followed, in the hope that it would lead to the Gulf. After six weeks'
absence from the Barcoo signs of the neighbourhood of the ocean began to
appear. The waters of the Flinders became brackish, and gradually
widened into an estuary. A sight of the ocean would have gladdened the
eyes of the explorers beyond measure, but a forest of mangroves deprived
them of this gratification. Nevertheless, they had reached the mouth of
the Flinders, and were within the limits of the rise and fall of the
tide. The object which had cost so many sacrifices was accomplished at
last, _and the continent of Australia traversed from end to end_.
The condition of the explorers was now pitiable in the extreme, and
never were men more in need of rest or had better deserved it; but to
rest here meant to perish, for only a fag-end of the rations was left,
and if they were to see the Barcoo depôt again, it must be by subsisting
on the merest pittance for the next two months. For this reason no time
was lost at the Gulf, and the return journey was commenced on the 21st
February. The weather happened to set in wet, which was a real
misfortune, as it added immensely to the inconvenience of travel, seeing
their strength was almost spent. The camels broke down and had all to be
abandoned except two, which were also in a weakly state. The one horse
which had been brought from the depôt was killed and eaten, to save the
provisions. In addition to all the other evils sickness began to affect
them, and Gray was so ill that he had to be strapped on the back of a
camel. The poor fellow, driven by starvation, had lately been caught
appropriating more than his share of the provisions, and was chastised
by Burke for the offence--an act of discipline which might have been
spared, for poor Gray was not to eat much more of the little store. Day
after day he was carried forward on the journey, but each night found
him getting weaker, and it was necessary to make a halt to let him die.
He breathed his last in a lonely wilderness, sacrificing his life
without a murmur to the cause which he loved not less than his master
did. His three surviving companions mournfully buried him in the desert
with such strength as was still left them, but were so exhausted with
the labour of digging his grave as to require a day's rest before
attempting to renew the journey. They, too, must have succumbed to their
troubles but for the sustaining power of hope, which told them the
longed-for depôt could not now be far distant. Other indications also
pointed the same way, and in four days after leaving Gray's grave their
eyes were gladdened with the sight of the familiar landmarks of the old
camping ground on the Barcoo. Burke gathered up all his remaining
strength and made the desert ring with "cooeys" for his former comrades,
and listened for a reply; but, _horresco referens_, no response was
returned but the echo of his own voice. Could it be possible that the
depôt was abandoned, and the miserable men left to perish in the
wilderness? The appalling thought was quickly succeeded by the
experience of the more terrible reality. The place of the encampment was
plainly visible, and the stockade still standing, but no human being to
break the solitude. Man could not suffer a more crushing disappointment;
and it is not surprising to hear that Burke now completely broke down.
But, after a short interval, one ray of hope sprang up from the depth of
despair. A marked tree happened to catch the eye of one of the
explorers, which contained the inscription, "Dig three feet westward."
Wills and King immediately began to excavate, but Burke was too much
unmanned to render any assistance. The hole was found to contain a chest
with some supplies and a letter of explanation. This unhappy day in the
experience of the explorers was the 21st of April, and the letter was
eagerly opened to ascertain what time Brahe and his men had left. The
date was also the 21st of April, at noon--in fact, the ink was scarcely
dry, for the letter had been written only seven hours before it fell
into the hands of Burke. It stated, in explanation, that they had
remained in the depôt four months; that Wright had not come with the
supplies from Menindie; that the blacks were troublesome and their own
provisions exhausted. Moreover, as Burke had engaged to return in three
months, they considered, at the end of four, that he must have perished
or taken another route.
What was to be done? To remain in the abandoned depôt was to perish, for
the amount of provisions could only afford a very temporary relief.
Wills recommended an immediate move in the direction of Menindie, on the
track of Brahe and party; but Burke was strongly in favour of making for
South Australia, whose pastoral stations now reached as far as Mount
Hopeless. At first sight there seemed reason in this advice. Burke
argued that it was impossible to overtake Brahe in their emaciated
condition; that Menindie was 400 miles from the depôt, whereas Mount
Hopeless was only 150; and that the Barcoo River might be expected to
supply them with water for the most of the route. The course to Mount
Hopeless was accordingly adopted. Thinking the depôt might possibly be
visited by a relief party, they took the precaution of burying a letter
at the foot of the marked tree, stating the direction they had taken,
adding that their weak condition rendered it impossible to travel more
than four or five miles a day; but, by a strange oversight, left no
external indications which would lead such a relief party to conclude
that the place had been visited by the explorers. Having taken the
handful of provisions, Burke, Wills and King, together with the two
surviving camels, started for the most northern settlement of South
Australia, striving to make the shortest course, and coming on to the
river only when water failed them elsewhere. One of the camels,
unfortunately, got bogged, and had to be shot, after two days' labour
had been spent in trying to extricate it. As much of its flesh as could
be recovered was dried and added to the small and rapidly diminishing
store of provisions. They managed to save a little, also, through an
occasional present of fish from the native tribes, who, fortunately,
were very friendly. But a great and unexpected misfortune now befell the
unhappy explorers. The Barcoo, which had been reckoned on to supply them
with water, split up into several channels and lost itself in the
desert. One branch after another was followed for some distance, but
with no other result than the consumption of their provisions and the
loss of the one surviving camel. They were now reduced to dire extremity
through want of both food and water, and debated with themselves whether
they should continue the journey or return and encamp on the nearest
waterhole in the river, and endeavour to get subsistence from the
blacks. It was difficult to say how much ground had been travelled over,
but they supposed it must be somewhere about 45 miles. In reality it was
about double that distance; and if they could have made another good
day's journey to the south they would have seen Mount Hopeless raise its
friendly head above the horizon. But, by another of those fatal
decisions which haunted this expedition, they resolved to abandon their
journey and return to the banks of the river. Fighting against despair
even yet, they conceived a faint hope that the depôt might have been
visited in the interim, and Wills, with the consent and advice of Burke
and King, walked back, as he was able, to see if any relief had arrived.
He reached the end of his journey on the 30th of May, but found no one
there, and saw no indications which could lead him to think the place
had been visited since his own party had left. Sorrowful at heart, but
brave in spirit to the last, Wills again retraced his steps, and
returned to his companions in a very exhausted condition; but he could
not have reached them at all without the help of the blacks. All three
were now destitute, and, with the exception of an occasional present of
fish, had nothing in the shape of provisions. But even yet there
appeared to be one resort which lay between them and death by
starvation. The country abounded with a plant called nardoo, the seeds
of which, when pounded and baked into a cake, were eaten by the natives.
The starving explorers adopted the same practice, in the hope of still
further prolonging their existence. But a little experience proved that
the nardoo cakes, although allaying the pangs of hunger, contained
little nourishment, and the heroic sufferers had now fallen into the
last stage of starvation. If they were to live at all, it was evident
they must cast themselves on the blacks, and trust to their charity.
Dreadful as the alternative was, they agreed to adopt it, for life is
sweet, even in the wilderness. But just here an insuperable difficulty
intervened, for the blacks were not at hand and had to be sought out.
Burke and King had yet strength to walk a mile, or perhaps two, in a
day. But poor Wills could walk no more, and yet he was willing that his
companions should go and save themselves, if too late to save him. They
put together a rude shelter, and left to seek the blacks, after taking
a sorrowful departure, which could hardly fail to be final, for his
life was visibly ebbing away. But they were not to go far. On the second
day Burke succumbed, and felt his end to be at hand. He was a brave man,
yet he shrank from the idea of dying alone, and entreated King to stay
with him until all was over. His dying request was religiously observed
by his trusty friend, who held him in his arms till he breathed his
last. Seeing he could render no more assistance there, King returned to
see how it was with Wills. It was all peace, for he, too, lay quietly
asleep in the arms of Death. Beside his dead body lay his journal, in
which he had made his last entry with his trembling hand, noting the
aspect of the weather, and added, with a stroke of pleasantry even yet,
that he was just like Mr. Micawber, waiting for something to turn up.
Such was the end of William John Wills, the most amiable and
noble-minded of Australia's explorers. His life was one of singular
promise, and great things might have been expected from him had he not,
unhappily, perished in his youth. He was only 27 years of age when he
fell a sacrifice to the incompetency of others whom he served or
trusted. The disconsolate King was now alone in the wilderness, with his
dead leaders on either side of him. Having performed his last duties to
the departed, as best he could, he sought and found his sable
benefactors, who received him as one of themselves, and proved by their
conduct that hospitality towards the distressed is a virtue which even
savages can exercise.
Having seen the last of Burke and Wills, and left King safe for the
present in the hands of the friendly aborigines, let us return to the
Barcoo depôt, in the hope of finding some explanation of the mystery
which enshrouds that most unlucky centre of operations. Brahe, as has
been already noticed, took his departure on the 21st of April, bound for
Menindie. He had travelled only eight days when Wright was met coming
on, _at last_, with the bulk of the supplies for the expedition. After a
brief consultation the two leaders resolved to come on to the Barcoo
depôt, which they reached in another eight days. Burke and party had
been there during the interval, but as they left no external marks,
Wright and Brahe, after a few minutes' cursory examination, concluded
the depôt had not been visited, and almost immediately took their
departure for Melbourne, without putting themselves to the trouble of
opening the hole at the foot of the marked tree, where the explorers'
letter was concealed. Again the place was left without any external
indications for the direction of their friends, who might return, and
when the depôt was visited by Wills, about a fortnight later, he
concluded, in the absence of such indications, that no one had been
there since his own party left.
Almost everyone connected with this expedition is to blame in some
degree for the disasters in which it ended. The committee at Melbourne
went to sleep, and were aroused to vigorous action when it was too late.
Burke and party were at fault in leaving the depôt for Mount Hopeless
without making some external marks which might catch the eye of anyone
who should come with supplies. Brahe and Wright were guilty of
unpardonable neglect in finally leaving the Barcoo depôt without opening
the _cache_, to see whether the depôt chest of provisions had been taken
or not. But the real author of the disasters was Wright, who loitered
four months at Menindie, while the heroic explorers were slowly dying of
starvation. He alleged in his defence that Burke had asked him to remain
until his own appointment was confirmed by the Melbourne committee. But
this is extremely improbable, and is contradicted by Burke's own
despatches. For the shortcomings of the others a tolerable excuse may be
made, but for the cruel conduct of Wright there is neither justification
nor defence, for all the evidence saddles him with the responsibility of
the horrible tragedy in which this once splendid expedition closed its
career.