5.0 KiB
| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke and Wills expedition | 8/9 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:39:46.567045+00:00 | kb-cron |
Unknown to the explorers, nardoo sporocarps contain the enzyme thiaminase, which depletes the body of vitamin B1 (thiamin). It is probable that they were not preparing the seedcakes in accordance with Aboriginal food preparation methods, as the food was a staple among the local people. It has been argued that Burke's party did not first process the food into a paste, which might have prevented the ill effects they suffered. Despite eating, the men got weaker and weaker. Wills wrote in his diary:My pulse is at 48 and very weak and my legs and arms are nearly skin and bone. I can only look out like Mr Micawber for something to turn up, but starvation on nardoo is by no means unpleasant, but for the weakness one feels, and the utter inability to move oneself, for as the appetite is concerned, it gives me the greatest satisfaction. As a result, it is likely that the deaths of Burke and Wills resulted in part from a vitamin deficiency disease called beriberi. Evidence to this effect is further provided by King's account, which revealed that Burke complained of leg and back pain shortly before his death. However, other research suggests that scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) and environmental factors also contributed to their deaths.
== Cooper Creek summary ==
11 November 1860. Burke, Wills, King, Gray, Brahe, Mahomet, Patton and McDonough made their first camp on what they thought was Cooper Creek, but which was actually the Wilson River. This was Camp LVII (Camp 57). 20 November 1860. The first Depôt Camp was established at Camp LXIII (Camp 63). 6 December 1860. The Depôt Camp was moved downstream to Camp LXV—The Dig Tree (Camp 65). 16 December 1860. Burke, Wills, King and Gray left the Depôt for the Gulf of Carpentaria. 16 December 1860—21 April 1861. Brahe is left in charge of the Depôt at Cooper Creek. 21 April 1861. Brahe buried a cache of supplies, carved a message in the Dig Tree and headed back to Menindee. Later that day, Burke, Wills and King returned from the Gulf to find the Depôt deserted. 23 April 1861. Burke, Wills and King followed the Cooper downstream heading towards Mount Hopeless in South Australia. 7 May 1861. The last camel, Rajah, died. The men cannot carry enough supplies to leave the creek. 8 May 1861. Brahe and Wright return to the Dig Tree. They stayed only 15 minutes and did not dig up Burke's note in the cache. 30 May 1861. Wills, having failed to reach Mount Hopeless, returned to the Dig Tree to bury his notebooks in the cache for safe-keeping. End of June / early July 1861. Burke and Wills died. 11 September 1861. Howitt, leader of the Burke Relief Expedition arrived at the Dig Tree. 15 September 1861. Howitt found King, the only survivor of the four men who reached the Gulf. 28 September 1861. Howitt dug up the cache at the 'Dig Tree' and recovered Wills' notebooks.
== Deaths on the Victorian Exploring Expedition == Charley Gray, Wednesday, 17 April 1861 at Polygonum Swamp. Charles Stone, Monday, 22 April 1861 at Koorliatto Waterhole, Bulloo River. William Purcell, Tuesday, 23 April 1861 at Koorliatto Waterhole, Bulloo River. Dr Ludwig Becker, Monday, 29 April 1861 at Koorliatto Waterhole, Bulloo River. William Patton, Wednesday, 5 June 1861 near Desolation Camp, Rat Point. William John Wills, the official date of death adopted by the Exploration Committee was Wednesday, 28 June 1861, but Wills probably died around Friday, 30 June or Saturday, 1 July 1861 at Breerily Waterhole, Cooper Creek. Robert O'Hara Burke, the official date of death adopted by the Exploration Committee was Wednesday, 28 June 1861, but Burke probably died on Saturday, 1 July 1861 at Burke's Waterhole, Cooper Creek.
== Aftermath == The Victorian government held a Commission of Enquiry into the deaths of Burke and Wills. Howitt was sent back to Cooper Creek to recover their bodies.
=== Commission of Enquiry === The Commission was convened on 18 November 1861, and the results of their investigations were presented to both houses of the colonial parliament. It was laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 4 March 1862. The Commission found that Burke "evinced far greater amount of zeal than prudence in finally departing from Cooper's Creek before the depot party had arrived from Menindie", found the conduct of Mr Wright "to have been reprehensible" and had some sympathy for Brahe, upon whom "a responsibility far beyond his expectations devolved upon him". The Commission judged that in leaving the depot before Burke returned or further relief had arrived was regrettable, but that Brahe had "acted from a conscientious desire to discharge his duty." Subsequent historians have posited that the commissioners were compromised by their close relationships with members of the RSV and failed to question them with the same zeal that was applied to men like Brahe.
=== Funeral ===