104 FATE OF Kennedy's 



On November 13th Kennedy started^ leaving- 

 eig'ht men at the camp at AVeymouth Bay. Near 

 Shelbm-ne Bay one of the party accidentally shot 

 himself, and another Avas too ill to proceed , conse- 

 quently^ it was determined to leave them behind in 

 charge of the third man^ with a horse for food^ 

 ■\^ hile Kennedy and the black pushed on for Port 

 Albany. At length near Escape River^ within 

 twenty miles of Cape York^ a tribe of natives with 

 Avhom they had had some apparently friendly 

 intercourse^ tempted by their forlorn condition and 

 a savage thirst for plunder^ attacked them in a scrub 

 and with too fatal success^ as the gallant leader of 

 this unfortunate expedition breathed his last after 

 receiving no less than three spear wounds. The 

 affecting narrative of what passed during his last 

 moments as related by his faithfid companion^ is 

 simply as follows. — ^^ Mr. Kennedy^ are 3'ou going 

 to leave me V^ " Yes^ my boy^ I am g'oing to leave 

 you/' was the reply of the dying man^ ^^ I am very 

 bad^ Jackey j you take the books^ .lackey, to the 

 Captain^ but not the big ones^ the Governor will 

 give anything for them." ^^ I then tied up the 

 papers ;'' he then said^ ^^ Jackey^ give me paper and 

 I A\'ill A^rite." ^^ I g-ave him paper and pencil^ and 

 he tried to write ; and he then fell back and died^ 

 and I caught him as he fell back and held him^ and 

 I then turned round myself and cried ; I was 

 crying a g*ood while until I got well; that was 

 about an hour^ and then I buried him ; I dug up 



