yesterday [23 August] for Mount Murchison – 90 miles without water. I am going up the river to get horses and to sell the rubbish they sent up. Had they been the best horses in Victoria they would not be fit to go northward after getting here in such a season as this. In late August 1865, with fresh horses and in drought conditions, the expedition led by McIntyre started from the Darling. It was to proceed to that part of the Flinders where McIntyre had seen traces of Leichhardt. Fresh stores could be obtained as needed from Burketown, the settlement recently established on the Albert River. Disaster near Curracunya On 5 October the party was camped at Curracunya Springs (near present day Dynevor), 240 miles from the Darling River and 200 miles from Cooper Creek. Five weeks later, after the party was forced to leave Curracunya, a disaster occurred. The true circumstances surrounding this disaster are not known. The available evidence suggests that the party could not find water at Cooper Creek and retreated. The party split in two: McIntyre and one other man moving ahead on camels and planning to return with water; the second group, led by Dr James Murray, coming along behind with the horses and stores. When the two groups met again, the expedition in its original composition was at an end: 66 horses dead in the desert, and stores and equipment scattered. In his diary for November 1865, Alexander Gray had this to say: 26th. Went to Cooper Creek, 45 miles no water. 27th. Came back. Got to a dry hole at night. 28th. Started to crawl and we made to save our own lives. Donald McIntyre, Barnett, McCalman, Dr Murray, a Black Boy and I travelled until our horses gave out. Dr Murray went on and left us. We let the horses go and we tried to walk but we were not able, so we laid down for dead. When the cool of the night came on we got a little stronger and we crawled along the tracks until we met Belooch with a little water which gave us great ease. We walked into camp about 10. Sixty hours without a drop of water, 86 hours without anything to eat, 97 hours on half a Johnny cake... Cooper Creek Camp Several members of the party returned to the settled districts while McIntyre and