[Footnote.] See Chapter 14.

Considering the minute and circumstantial accounts that have from time to time been related by the blacks concerning Leichhardt, one is not astonished at the legends told to McKinlay.  The native with him told him that the whites had been attacked in their camp, and that the whole of them had been murdered; the blacks having finished by eating the bodies of the other men, and burying the journals, saddles, and similar portions of the equipment beside a lake a short distance away.  A further search revealed another grave —­ empty —­ and there were other and slighter indications that white men had visited the neighbourhood, so that McKinlay was led to place some credence in this story.

Next morning a tribe of blacks appeared; and although they immediately ran away on perceiving the party, one was captured who corroborated the statement made by the other native.  Both of them bore marks on them like bullet and shot wounds.  The second native said that there was a pistol concealed near a neighbouring lake.  He was sent to fetch it; but returned the next morning at the head of a host of aboriginals, armed, painted, and evidently bent on mischief.  The leader was obliged to order his men to fire upon them, and it was only after two or three volleys that they retired.

McKinlay was now satisfied that he had discovered all there was to find of the Victorian expedition, and, after burying a letter for the benefit of any after-comers, he left Lake Massacre, as it was mistakenly named, and returned to the depot camp.  His letter was as follows:—­

“S.A.B.R.  Expedition,

“October 23rd, 1861.

“To the leader of any expedition seeking tidings of Burke and party.

“Sir, I reached this water on the 19th instant, and by means of a native guide discovered a European camp, one mile north on west side of flat.  At or near this camp, traces of horses, camels, and whites were found.  Hair, apparently belonging to Mr. Wills, Charles Gray, Mr. Burke, or King, was picked up from the surface of a grave dug by a spade, and from the skull of a European buried by the natives.  Other less important traces —­ such as a pannikin, oil-can, saddle-stuffing, etc., have been found.  Beware of the natives, on whom we have had to fire.  We do not intend to return to Adelaide, but proceed to west of north.  From information, all Burke’s party were killed and eaten.

“JNO.  MCKINLAY.

“P.S.  All the party in good health.

“If you had any difficulty in reaching this spot, and wish to return to Adelaide by a more practicable route, you may do so for at least three months to come by driving west eighteen miles, then south of west, cutting our dray track within thirty miles.  Abundance of water and feed at easy stages.”

McKinlay next sent one of his party —­ Hodgkinson —­ with men and pack-horses to Blanche Water, to carry down the news of his discovery, and to bring back rations for a prolonged exploration.  Meanwhile he remained in camp.  From one old native with whom he had a long conversation, he obtained another version of the alleged massacre, in which there was apparently some vestige of truth.