Page:Tracks of McKinlay and party across Australia.djvu/98

 Queensland, to the River Albert, at the head of the Gulf, and Mr. Landsborough was despatched from Brisbane in a small brig, the "Firefly," also to the same part of the gulf, where he was to begin a journey towards the south. The government armed steamer, "Victoria," was also sent to hover about the same rendezvous with suitable supplies for rendering assistance to the cause generally.

Howitt, as we have seen, accomplished the object of all this enterprise by finding the unfortunate party in the person of its sole survivor, King, who for between two and three months since the death of his leaders, had been living with the Aborigines of the Cooper, kindly enough cared for, indeed, by the natives, after their rude fashion, but so haggard and emaciated as to be hardly recognizable as a human being. This intelligence arrived too late to prevent the other expeditions, a circumstance the less to be regretted when we consider the important results they accomplished. Walker executed his mission successfully, reaching, on the 7th December, 1861, a depôt formed on the Albert by Landsborough, after detecting the traces of Burke's party at the Flinders, on his way. Landsborough set out from this depot in October, and after proceeding 210 miles in a southerly direction towards the Central Mount Stuart, returned to the depot,