FROM THE COAST RANGE TO THE PALMER 215 



covered, and the CAMP was pitched on a small creek, which I assume 

 to be MOUNT MULLIGAN CREEK, draining the south-eastern end 

 of Mount Mulligan and falling into the Hodgkinson River. (SEE 

 MAP G.) 



Another weak HORSE was ABANDONED before a start was made 

 on 2<)th August, leaving eighteen. The party CAMPED at night 

 on the HODGKINSON RIVER, which was not running, but had large 

 water-holes. 



On the $otk and $ist August and 1st September, the party 

 followed the HODGKINSON down the valley to the north-west, 

 with much difficulty, owing to the roughness of the country, the 

 depth of the gullies and the density of the scrub on the hills. On 

 2nd September, they left the river at a bend probably about 

 6 miles short of its junction with the Mitchell, and in about 

 5 miles to the north-west CAMPED on the MITCHELL RIVER itself. 

 They had been under the impression that the Hodgkinson would 

 lead them to Princess Charlotte Bay. 1 



On Sunday, yd September, prayers were read as usual, and 

 some of the party hunted for food, bagging an emu, a kangaroo 

 and some fish. 



For six days (^th to qth September), the party followed the 

 MITCHELL to west-north-west, sometimes in its bed and sometimes 

 over hill-tops, being under the impression that the river would 

 lead them to Princess Charlotte Bay. Kennedy's mountain 

 BAROMETER was BROKEN, so that altitudes, for the future, could 

 only be guessed at. The CAMP of qtb September was on the river, 

 probably about the I44th meridian, where it is now crossed by 

 the TELEGRAPH LINE between the Walsh and Palmerville stations 

 (HANN'S CAMPS 16 and 48, 1873). 



There is no evidence in Carron's narrative that Kennedy 

 identified this river with Leichhardt's Mitchell, and, of course, 

 Kennedy was many leagues higher up the river than Leichhardt had 

 been. The mere fact that he expected it to lead him to Princess 

 Charlotte Bay proves that he considered it a different river. 



Kennedy must by this time have been convinced that he had 

 gone far enough west if he was to strike Princess Charlotte Bay, 

 where the relief ship was awaiting him. On $tb September, while 

 they were travelling down the Mitchell, Carron says : " We were 

 now in the vicinity of CAPE TRIBULATION." Possibly Kennedy 

 may have told him they were near the latitude of that cape, but they 

 must then have been at least 80 miles west of it. The Leader 

 now (loth August) ALTERED his COURSE from NW. to N. : in fact, 

 he took the route which HANN followed in 1872 and MULLIGAN 

 in 1873, and which is now followed by the TELEGRAPH LINE from the 

 Walsh to the Palmer. 



1 MULLIGAN'S journey of 2nd and 3rd September, 1874, practically covered the 

 same ground as KENNEDY'S of 28th August to 2nd September, 1848. 



