NARRATIVE OF MR. CARRX3N. 189 



been committed^ and it was found necessary to watch 

 the provisions nig"ht and day. Mr. Kennedy was 

 anxious to discover the thief in this instance^ as it 

 was stolen in open daylig'ht while Mr. Kennedy 

 himself was keeping* a look-out in his tent; not 

 tAventy yards from where the provisions were stolen ; 

 every man's load was searched^ but in vain^ and Mr. 

 Kennedy, knowing' that a party left the camp for 

 the purpose of fishing" a short distance up the river, 

 and another party a few 3^ards down the river to 

 wash some clothes — took Jackey with him, aaIio, 

 b}" detecting' some crumbs on the g'round, discovered 

 that the damper had been eaten at the place where 

 the clothes were washed. 



So careless were some of the party of the fatal 

 consequences of our provisions being- consumed 

 before we arrived at Cape York, that as soon as we 

 camped and the horses were unpacked, it was 

 necessary that all the provisions should be deposited 

 tog^ether on a tarpaulin, and that I should be near 

 them by day and by nig'ht, so that I could not leave 

 the camp at all, unless Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Wall 

 undertook to watch the stores. I was oblig-ed to 

 watch the food Avhilst cooking* ; it was taken out of 

 the boiler in the presence of myself and tAvo or three 

 others, and placed in the stores till morning*. 



It was seldom that I could g*o to bed before nine 

 or ten o'clock at nig'ht, and I had to be up at four 

 in the morning* to see our tea made and sweetened, 

 and our breakfast served out by daylig-ht. The 



