AN AUSTRALIAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

Otago Witness, Issue 2818, 18 March 1908, Page 86

AN AUSTRALIAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

: THE PASSING OF A PIONEER. THE BURKE AND- WT&LS EXPEDITION. Five or six years after Alfred Howitt's settlement in Victoria the event occurred which changed the entire tenor of his life, andi, by making 1 him famous, opened up the way for the- pursuit of his subsequent invaluable anthropological studies andi researches. This was the disastrous result of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition. With the idea of refreshing the memories of our readers regarding- this historic tra-gedy, we have extracted the: following summarised account of the origin and purpose of 1 the expedition from a small, " History of Australia," published, in Melbourne in 1882, and written by Mr James Allen: — * , Except for private purposes, sucn as the search for new cattle stations and sheep runs, there- had been little exploration, if any, from the date of Vic-torias-separation from New South Wales-! until 1860-61. But, stimulated by the j offer of £1000 by Mr Ambrose Kyte, I in 1858, towards the fitting out of a party to explore th© interior of Australia, on condition' that a- further sum of £2000 was subscribed for that purpose, the exploratory spirit was once more revived, and it was determined in 1860 to send, out what is so well known ac the Burke and Wills- expedition. -Mr Kyte's offer of" £1000 was supplemented by otßer. subscriptions to the extent of £3210, and the Government gave a subsidy of £5500, as a first instalment towards the expenses, to be greatly added to thereafter, as the event proved, inasmuch as the total cost of the- expedition was £57,000, and the Government was ultimately called upon to make good whatever the promoters 1 declared to be deficient. , For minute details no room can be found here, either as regards the choice of a leader to the expedition and its equipment ; as regards the journey of Burke and Wills across the continent, with their selected' companions ; or as regards their return, after they had sighted the watens of the ocean on the ot-Ker side. Burke, the chosen corns mander, had had no bush experience, but was a* man of great daring, and indomitable courage and the gentleman chosen to accompany . him, including , Wills, Gray, and King, >were eminently fitted for the' duties assigned to them. The whole party, with 10 assistants, left the? Royal Park, Melbourne, mth a long train of horses? and camels, heavily laden with baggage, on the 20th August', 1860, and made* for Cooper's Creek, where they formed a depot, and- rested' for some time,, intending that as a place from- which they could obtain supplies in any case of emergency, and placing it under the charge of Brahe, one of their assistants, with instructions to remain there three- months only. On the- 16th December, 1860, Burke and Wills, with two companions, Gray and King, set out from Cooner's Creek on their perilous- journey with six camels and. one horse, laden with three months? provisions? and scarcely with- any other thought than that of reaching the Gulf of Carpentaria at the earliest possible moment — the preservation of health and the saving of life being, apparently, quite secondary considerations with them. They made that journey from Cooper's Creek to the Gulf of Carpentaria-, in little more than six- weeks, travelling at the rate of about 140 miles per week, or more than 20 miles a day, under the rays of a tropical sun, at thehottest season of the year, and, as their provisions began to run short, they hastened back as fast as they could. Gray died by the way of sheer exhaustion ; and when Burke and" Wills and King reached the depot at Cooper's? Creek, on the- 21st: of April, 1861, their hearts were smitten within them to find it deserted by the man (Brahe) to whom they had four months before given it in charge, and only a little provisions left for their use. Wills was the first of the returned party to succumb, and Burke and King leijt him, at his own request, to die in the wilderness _alone. After having quietly and softly placed him in a hut, with a. little provisions near bis head, to which he could help himself as long as life and strength lasted, Burke gave way, strong man as he -was, and lay down to die, desiring King not to leave him until he was dead, and, when he was, to keep him above ground, with a pistol placed in his right hand. Having performed this sad office for- his late chief, King wandered away among the natives in a half-demented condition, not knowing what he said or did, nor caring what became of him. In this condition he was found by " Mr Alfred Howitt, -who had been despatched with a light party from Melbourne in 1861 to look after the party, and who brought him on to . Melbourne. Afterwards the remains of BuTke and Wills were brought back to Melbourne, where a public funeral was accorded to them, and a monument erected to the memory of the ill-fated explorers. Here the story of the Burke and Wills expedition ends, and it is just as well to remark that there would have been no such expedition had it not been for the Victorian goldfields discoveries. There would have been no £57,000 to spend on such an expedition ; nor "was it, perhaps, ■wise to spend such a sum on that expedition, when one of a less ' costly description would, probably, have answered the same purpose. But gold tad come pouring into Melbourne during '

', the decadie— that is, from 1851 to 1861 — ; at the- rate of £10,000;000' to £11,000,000 per annum, and everything had then- to be done- on at grand scale; regardless of expense,, by, whomsoever, borne. Still, in this particular case the- result was sufficient to justify the expenditure, however lavish it may appear at first sight to Have been. In all, save in the loss of the livesof. the explorers,, the Burke and Wills- , expedition, was a suceeas. The problem of crossing the continent from south tonorth was solved by it ; and the country the explorers traversed, and upon which THE PART PLAYED BY MR HOWITT. A detailed and interesting account of the part played by Mr Alfred Howitf in this relief- expedition is furnished by Mr G. W. R-usden in his larger " History of Australia." Erom this we learn that the father of Wills besought the Exploration (Jommitiee to do something for the relief of his son> and he himself was anxious to conduct a search party. Fortunately, howeveT, tho committee selected a. competent leader in the person of Mr Alfred Howitt, a man capable physically and mentally of any service demanded. from. him. He knew something of the, interior, for he had led a private expedition through the northern districts of South Australia neaT Lake Jiyre in 1859. He was exploring in the cordillera in the Gippsland mountains when the Exploration Committee was entreated' to send someone to look for Burke. It entrusted the task to Howitt, and he -started to the Murray River, where he proposed to organise his small party. He met Brahe with Wright's despatches, which reported that nothing, had been heard of Burke since the 16th of December, I860; that Brahe had left the Cooper's Creek' depot, and that the natives had- proved hostile. . . Howitt, with Brahe, visited Melbourne, and on July 4, 1861, with enlarged powers, Howitt started for Cooper's Creek, with' a party consisting of twelve persons^ among whom w«re two natives. Mr Rusden gives the following, grapftic account of Mr Hewitt's conduct of the relief expedition : — On the 13th September,, 1861, Howitt was at Cooper's Creek depot. On the road he saw the truth of the statement of. Beroctetus, which wae derided by Gibbon*. The horses had so great an antipathy to the camels, that there was much trouble in keeping the former at the camps. Brahe was with Howitt, and assured him that the cache at the depot had not been disturbed, and no search was made. No hint was obtained 1 as to the return of Burkes party to Cooper's Creek, when on the 15th September Howitt, with a native tracker (Sandy), went ahead of others to search for tracks-. Footprints of camels, which Brahe-, could' not account for, excited surprise. ' Howitt diverged from the j creek, leaving Sandy to examine it, and, I on curving back to it, met his black I companions with, the tidings that they j had' found" King alive, and charitably j cared for in. his,, distress by those whose brethren Wright had slaughtered. " Wasted, to a shadow," but sheltered 1, in the "wurley " (or hut)' constructed for him By lrisN hosts, no man could recognise in Ring the active young man, oncer a soldier, who had accompanied I Burke. He was too weak and prostrate to speak clearly at first ;. while, gathered around in manifest delight, the tribe watched the meeting of Howitt and j 1 their guest. On the 18th, somewhat ! recruited,. King showed the spot where I lay the remains of Wills-, protected ac I well as the feeble King, could, protect I them, with sand and rushes- Howitt I had.no Prayer Bock with him, but with i a feeling of solemnity, shared' by his comrades, read 1 on that lonely VJrstfc the chapter in which St. Paul, with Words, ■which shall never die while human speech remains upon the earth, declares : ! " this corruptible must put on incorruption^ and this mortal must put on immortality." Over a grave duly, made branches were laid to signify to the natives by their own tokens that the ' t spot was not to be disturbed. The cere- . many was painful to Howitt, and over- ; came King so much that a- search for I Burkes body was postponed, and !' Howitt on the 21st September was, fain 1 to seek it without King's aid. The pistol placed in Burkes hand by King was found loaded and capped. The remains were interred, wrapped in the [ Union Jack ; and, as in the case of ! Wills, an inscription on a near tree denned, the- spot with precision. . While these rites were paid the ! natives disappeared. They did' not know that Howitt was unlike Wright, who shot scores of the tribe at Bulloo, — un- [ like M'Kinlay, who justified the name, Massacre, which he ga-ve to the lake where Gray's body, was found, — or the explorer who hod previously marked with bullet and shot the body of the man whom M'Kinlay- captured. They 1 had reason to dread that Howitt would ' show his strength in destruction. He, meanwhile, shrunk from leaving the district without proving his gratitude to them. He traced the creek, and found that native fishermen left their neta and eluded him. He found tbeir camp, and there was much commotion, though they "seemed- very friendly.' He showed- < the presents he intended^to give, and invited the tribe to his camp. On the following- day, nearly forty in number, they went thither. Tomahawks, knives, red ribbons for the children, made all eyes glitter. "I think (Howitt wrote) no people were ever so happy before, and it was very interesting to see how they pointed out one or another who they thought might be overlooked." ' The tribe seemed to understand that they Teoeived gifts because they had been kind to King. Hbwitt, possesed of means, and fitted to explore, -would hare -pursued hiß journey gladly, but felt bound to Teturßi with the recovered King^ and with, the disinterred journal* and- notes of Burke and Wills. Among other proofs of his aptitude one incident may be/ mentioned

When he revisited" Cooper's Creek h~& obtained 1 in »• few Hours fish enough to ( have supported. Burke and hie companions for weeks-. Yet Bra ho had dreaded' to remain at the depot, and Burke 1 and Wills -were dependent on thechaiitjf ofl the- natives, Hewitt returned without loss of even- a beast? of burden, ' and his tidings were in the hands of the Government in Melbourne in November, 1861.* He- was immediate l?- . deputed to bring back to Melbourne the. « remains which he- had interred at Cooper's Creek. Those who suggested that the lonely spot where they fell was an, appropriate grave were derided. The 5 Victorians were roused to bestow u^on their lost explorers a- funeral which, would, reflect honour* upon, the colony. On the 9th December, 1861; Howitt was again on his way to~ Cooper's Creek. During his absence- M'Kinlay had been there, and had" marked trees with his name. | It may be remembered that aaLKmlay | from South Australia!, and Walker and I Landsborough from Queensland, were seeking for traces- of Burke when, Hbwit* I' found them. With commendable" prudence Howitt was instructed to stfcra food at Cooper's Creek for the use of | any explorers who might resort thither. In various expeditions > he. reached. Mount? Hopeless* which inu a^ duier> season Burke failed to find, and also established a. I rout© between- the-'depot and' Lake Hope. The accuracy of the communication between native tribes was proved by the fact that they told Howitt that MfKinlay was? hemmed in by floods in March, 1862, far. to the north and on. the borders of the Stony Desert of Sturt. M'Kinlay's journal confirmed their tale; They announced also that a freshet was desending (the Barcoo or) Coopers Creek, and it came, moving through the level land at a rate of about twa miles a week. Howitt found the natives friendly, but frightened." He explored- northwards to the Stony Desert. His people saw at Cooper's Creek a bull, a cow and calf, and caught a horse belied to have been left by Sturfc in 1845. How the cattle found their way to the creek could not be surmised. But the instinct of animals within its appointed range is more accurate than the reasonings ot ordinary men ; and' though beaeta maydie if water, be unattainable, they will, if taken far from their, homes by a circuitous route, strike back through a re<non where they have never previously set foot, and generally- find the easiest path in th© course. In his journey Howitt procured native guides to ensurethe finding of' water. Sometimes he impressed them by force and guarded ■ agwinst their escape. He followed M'Kinlay's tracks beyond the 26th degree of south latitude. He did not abandon his depot until' he had heard oi the safe return of Walker, Landsborough, and Mi'Kinlay-. ' Troopers with de- • spatches from Adelaide traversed easily the land which had. repelled, early ex- ! plorers, and squatters' stations afforded, shelter and' food throughout the greater. ! part of the way. Howitt deposited at Cooper's Creek flour and other supplies for needy ecsplorers ; and, carrying the remains of. Burke and Wills, reached • Adelaide in December, 1862, where the citizens were entertaining M'Kiniay at abanquet when Hbwitt arrived, and was • warmly welcomed at the table. In the • same month' M'Douall Stuart rejoiced the South. Australians by returning; triumphant from the north coask Great ceremony w-ae- displayed in Mel- ', bourne when the remains of Burke and ', Wills arrived. A public funeral' washeld on the 21st January, I860". Public functionaries vied- with private mourners 1 in the trappings* and. the suits of woe. Sums- of money were afterwards voted to provide annuities for the rescued Bong, for the foster nurse of Burke, and 4 for the mother, of Wills,, whose sisters also received gratuities. Howitt received, public thanks. Thet special narrator of Australian explorations (Rev. J. E. T. .' Woods) summed' up' thus : " Probably no explorer executed his- task with- more prudence than Mr Howitt, and while accomplishing. His instructions exactly, under circumstances- of considerable difficulty, did so with- less fuss and inconvenience to hie* followers than- ever was seen in explorations before. He deserves the name- of being a/ perfect type of an Australian bushman.." A DISTINGUISHED ANTHROPOLOGIST. For his services in connection with the relief of the Burke and Wills expedition Mr Alfred Howitt was appointed police magistrate of Victoria, and stationed in Gippsland, where he resided- first at Bairnsdale, and latterly at Sale. He at once commenced to make a profound study of the ethnology and characteristics- of the , natives of Australia. In 1873 he joined with Dr Lorhner Fison m investigating the claesificatoTy system of relationships which obtains among the tribes of SouthEast Australia. In connection with this inquiry, their attention was directed to the tribal class system, and the rales of marriage and descent connected therewith. The outcome of this study was- the publication of a work, in conjunction with Dr Fison, on the marriage customs of these two tribes. |