Finch had been bringing up supplies, and during his temporary absence his camp had been attacked by the natives, the cattle dispersed, the supplies carried off, and two of the teamsters murdered.
All ideas of further penetration into the new country had to be abandoned.

Mitchell was compelled to hasten back, bury the bodies of the victims, and after an ineffective quest for the murderers, return to the settled districts.
The journey, however, had not been without good results.

Knowledge of the Darling had been considerably extended, and it was now shown to be the stream receiving the outflow of the rivers whose higher courses Cunningham had discovered.

The beginning of the great river system of the Darling may be said to have been thus placed among proven data.

Mitchell himself afterwards showed himself an untiring and zealous worker in solving the identity of the many ramifications of this system.
7.3.THE PASSAGE OF THE DARLING.
His next journey was undertaken to confirm the fact of the union of the Darling and the Murray.