NARRATIVE OF MR. CARROIN. 211 



the party left at the camp were very weak^ Luff 

 being" the weakest man that proceeded with the 

 party to Cape York. 



Before leaving* Mr. Kennedy told me that he 

 expected to meet with some difficulties for the first 

 few days, from the nature of the country he had 

 seen fi-om the hill. I did not mention this to the 

 rest of the party, for fear it mig-ht still further tend 

 to depress their spirits, as three or four of them 

 even now seemed to despair of ever reaching* our 

 destination. I did all in my power to keep them 

 in g-ood heart, but they were saddened and depressed 

 by long* suffering*. 



We removed our camp back across the creek to 

 the side of the hio-h bare hill on which I was to hoist 

 a flag*, and from which I could look out for a vessel. 

 It also afforded us a security from the natives, as 

 we could see them at a g*reater distance. The lati- 

 tude of this camp was 13° 35' S. 



And thus we settled down in the spot which Avas 

 to be the burial place of so many of our party — 

 which was fated to be the scene of so much intense 

 suffering*, and of such heart-sickening- hope deferred. 

 Wearied out by long* endurance of trials that ^vould 

 have tried the courao*e and shaken the fortitude of 

 the strong-est, a sort of slug'g'ish indifference pre- 

 vailed, that prevented the development of those 

 active energ*ies which were so necessary to support 

 us in our critical position. The duties of our camp 

 were performed as if by habit, and knowing* how 



p 2 



