THE EAST COAST AND THE COAST RANGE 209 



thick scrub, after which a CAMP was made in open forest country 

 LUFF and DOUGLAS were very ill with AGUE. 



From 2()th 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 



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