Saturday, December 7.

Started at 7.7 a.m. and came to Burke’s grave—­about two miles on south bank of creek.  On the north-east side of a box tree, at upper end of waterhole, native name Yaenimemgi, found marked on tree R.O’H.B., 21-9-61., A.H.  Deposited a document in case of the return of any party.  Saw a cobby horse on arrival here last night; tried to catch him.  Saw the tracks of cattle up the creek, short distance from him; they had gone further up the creek to a water, Cullimuno.  Spelled today.

Sunday, December 8.

Started back for camp; passed large numbers of natives; marked small gum sapling MK roughly; made for heavy creek that joins another at Strzelecki’s Creek, and camped at a water called Tacdurrie, a small water about two miles from Gooneborrow in the main creek.  Distance travelled today about twenty-seven and a half miles.

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[Copy of document left at Cooper’s creek, dated 7th December, 1861.]

To the Leader of the party out for the remains of the lost Burke and Wills, but more especially to the officer in charge of the depot likely to be formed on this creek.

Sir,

I beg to state that I have had communication with Adelaide and have received papers from there intimating the relief of King, the only survivor of the Melbourne Gulf of Carpentaria party, and an announcement that the Melbourne Government were likely to have the remains of the late gentlemen removed from this creek to Melbourne, to receive a public burial and monument to their memory, and at the same time stating their intention of establishing a depot somewhere on this creek to await the arrival of one or other of the parties (in search of the late Burke and Wills) from Rockhampton, or the Albert, on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

I beg to state I am with my party stationed on a lake about eighty-five miles westerly of this; and immediately on my return there I start northward, and for the first part of my journey a little to east of north, and will, at every suitable camp on my route, bury documents conveying the intelligence meant to be conveyed to either of the parties, by the depot party likely to be formed here, of the fate of the late party; by which means they will be put in possession of the facts, and can return to the Albert or go on through to Adelaide.  There is at present, and will be for some time to come, easy access to Adelaide by my route, which the wheel tracks of my cart have clearly defined.

By this means of intimation to the parties in question it will relieve the party to be stationed here from the necessity of passing a summer in this hot region.  My course will intersect any course either of the parties out from the northward can make between Eyre’s Creek and the late Burke’s depot on this creek.