Page:Northmost Australia volume 1.djvu/240

Rh thick scrub, after which a CAMP was made in open forest country LUFF and DOUGLAS were very ill with AGUE.

From 2th June to ist July, Kennedy and three others, leaving the main camp, explored 40 miles of country, having, as they believed, at last found the WAY OUT. A fresh start was to have been made on Monday, 3rd July, but was delayed by the continued ILLNESS of LUFF and DOUGLAS. The HORSES were GETTING WEAK and the SHEEP were FALLING AWAY, and for this reason four days more were spent at the camp. On tb July, Kennedy and three others, roaming " some distance from the camp," were ATTACKED BY NATIVES. " One spear was actually thrown, when Mr. Kennedy, fearing for the safety of his party, ordered his men to FIRE upon them. Four of the natives fell, but Mr. Kennedy could not ascertain whether more than one was killed, as the other three were immediately carried off into the scrub." On 6th July the camp was broken up and the WESTWARD MARCH was resumed. Early in the day two creeks were met with, running to the north-east. The second was crossed with difficulty, the CARTS having to be lowered into its bed with ropes and pulleys. The CAMP was made on the north, or left, bank, in hilly open forest country, with a high range visible to the west. On Jth July, small progress was made, owing to fallen timber which impeded the carts. The evening CAMP was made on a creek with a large sandy bed. This was, no doubt, what is now called KENNEDY CREEK, one of the heads of Meunga Creek. Sth July. Cutting SCRUB on north side of Kennedy Creek. Small progress. CAMPED in open forest country with large boulders of granite. yth July (Sunday). Rest and prayers. loth to i$th July. Travelling at an estimated rate of 3 to 5 miles per day (probably less), cutting SCRUB and crossing many small creeks. I am convinced that they must have taken an ENE. course till they had rounded MOUNT CARRUCHAN (2,810 feet), as they could never have got the CARTS across the spur of the range connecting that mountain with MOUNT ALMA (3,300 feet). These four days' travelling probably brought them to DEEP CREEK or DUNDONALD CREEK, tributaries of the MURRAY RIVER. On the nth the party was visited by a small tribe of NATIVES, "who appeared very friendly and did not stop long."

On th July, in crossing country which had the appearance of being frequently inundated, ONE OF THE CARTS BROKE DOWN and had to be left behind. A start had been made early in the morning, and at dusk THE OTHER TWO CARTS STUCK FAST at the crossing of a small creek and some of the horses got bogged. It was only two hours short of midnight when the loads were carried to a dry CAMP.

This experience finally convinced Kennedy that the CARTS were a useless impediment, and he admitted that they had to be LEFT