Burke & Wills 78: A good thrashing - Burke and Wills Expedition (sitios de interés)
Descripción del sitio
At Native-Dog Camp, 37R, on March 25, Wills was heading back to their previous camp for some items left there when he came across Gray secretly eating some of the skilligolee (flour) from the provisions. Gray claimed he needed it because of his dysentery, but Wills ordered him before Burke. King spoke in Gray's defence, but Gray "received a good thrashing" nevertheless, as Wills recorded: "There is no knowing to what extent he has been robbing us. Many things have been found to run unaccountably short." Gray's death soon after the incident meant that the extent of the beating Burke gave him would be forever more debated. Was it a few slaps or so horrific that King said he would have killed Burke if he'd had his pistol handy? Gray had been complaining of ill health throughout the return trek, but Wills believed he was "gammoning" – faking it.As the men set off southward again, one of the camels had to be abandoned because it was too sick to work or be eaten, and two others were killed for their meat, which was jerked in the sun. Far to the south, at the Koorliatto Waterhole, animals and men were also suffering as William Wright strained to reach Cooper's Creek with fresh supplies for the Burke party.