As the deadline came and went, Brahe became increasingly anxious as scurvy and hunger spread through the camp. Brahe abandoned Fort Wills on the morning of 21 April, four months and one week after their arrival, believing Burke and his party must have perished or turned to Queensland for their return journey home. Brahe's party left for Menindee after burying supplies near a tree and blazing a message that indicated the location of the supplies in its trunk. The exact wording and content of the message has been subject to considerable debate over the years.Murgatroyd 2002 p.231Historical Research Pty Ltd 2002 p.316Phoenix & Corke 2012 p.4-10
