after settling george’s affairs, fred travelled about bengal extensively, and in august 1866 wrote a letter to the register newspaper in adelaide comparing the similarities, yet the merits, of the northern territory over those of bengal. it seems he was looking for crops which might suit the territory. fred litchfield had been in bengal only nine months when he died at sylhet, bengal, (now bangladesh) on 1 march 1867, aged 35 years. the cause of death is unknown. he had never married.