THE EAST COAST AND THE COAST RANGE 207 



In the morning of Jth June, a RAFT or punt was improvised by 

 covering the body of one of the carts with a tarpaulin, its buoyancy 

 enhanced by air-filled kegs and water-bags ; and the tether-ropes 

 having been tied together and made fast on both banks, the punt 

 was pulled from bank to bank. Most of the things were thus got 

 across during the day, and the party CAMPED, some on the right 

 and some on the left bank of the river. 



8th June. The remaining baggage was transported across the 

 river. The horses also were taken across, not without difficulty. 

 Nothing is said about the sheep, which probably were ferried in 

 the punt. The party camped on the right bank of the river, near 

 the beach. 



gth June. With the exception of Kennedy, Jackey-Jackey and 

 three others, the party remained in camp, where they were visited 

 by a great number of NATIVES, who evinced no hostility. 



loth June. Kennedy and his companions returned to the camp 

 at night, having found nothing but swamps and no practicable 

 inland route for the carts. 



nth June. After about 4 miles of travelling southward along 

 the beach, the party came to another river, the MURRAY, and 

 CAMPED. Near the river, they explored an untenanted native 

 camp, noting a shield, four wooden two-handed swords, fishing- 

 lines, fish-hooks made of shells, cooking ovens of a now well-known 

 type, consisting of excavations nearly filled with stones, and gourds 

 for holding water. 



12th June. Taylor having failed, owing to the strength of the 

 ebbing tide, to swim across with a rope, some NATIVES who had 

 been observed fishing from canoes were induced to take the rope 

 across and make it fast on the right bank, receiving a tomahawk 

 for the service. It was 10 o'clock before the last of the baggage 

 had been punted across, by moonlight. The horses were led across 

 a quarter of a mile above the ferry, the operation being watched 

 with interest by several natives, who afterwards visited the camp 

 and were presented with fish-hooks. It may be assumed that the 

 party CAMPED at night on the southern, or right, bank of the river, 

 and that the carts were got across somehow on the following day, 

 but Carron says nothing about these matters. 



i$tb June. In the morning CARPENTER, the shepherd, was 

 MISSING, and was ascertained to have taken with him a damper 

 weighing n lb., 10 Ib. of sugar and 2 Ib. of tea. He was FOUND, 

 after much searching, next day, in the act of sharing the damper 

 with a party of NATIVES. He expressed contrition, but, according 

 to Carron, " throughout the expedition he was of very little 

 service, being, in fact, little better than an idiot." Carpenter died 

 at the Pascoe camp on 26th November. It is well known that 

 many Australian shepherds of the old days went mad as a natural 

 consequence of their lonely life. If Carpenter had really been 



