CARRON'S PARTY AT THE PASCOE RIVER 245 



a HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION, but retired on a show of resistance being 

 made. This being Sunday, prayers were read as usual. 



On 21 st November (the day after the second death in the party) 



" about SIXTY NATIVES," as Carron relates, " came to the camp, well armed with 

 spears, and pieces of fish, which they held up to us, to entice us to come to them. 

 We took no notice, however, of their invitations, but preparing our firearms, we turned 

 out. They were now CLOSING ROUND us in all directions, many of them with their 

 spears in their throwing-sticks, ready for use pointing them to their own necks and 

 sides, and showing us by their postures how we should writhe with pain when they 

 struck us. Then they would change their tactics and again endeavour to persuade 

 us that they meant us no harm, but they would not lay down their spears. Some of 

 them seemed inclined to go away, but others appeared determined to attack us. After 

 keeping us standing for about an hour, ELEVEN SPEARS were THROWN AT us. Three of 

 my party then fired, slightly wounding one of them, when they all immediately ran 

 away as fast as they could. Some of them, however, remained hovering in sight for 

 some time after. Three of the spears that were thrown fell short of us, the rest 

 passing very close, but fortunately no one was hurt. The three spears which passed 

 us were barbed with bone, and were very heavy." 



On 26th November (the day of the third man's death), the 

 NATIVES RETURNED, bringing a few small fish, and leaving their 

 spears at a distance. Apprehensive of a trap, however, the besieged 

 refused to accept the fish. It is noteworthy that the two visits in 

 force occurred each time after the death of one of the party, of 

 which the hovering natives were evidently aware. 



By the end of November the distress of the survivors reached 

 such a pitch that they ate the hide of the last horse. The hide of 

 the horse killed previously had been given to the dogs. 



The LOWEST DEPTHS OF MISERY were sounded by the unhappy 

 men on the 2nd December, the day after Kennedy's death. H.M.S. 

 " Bramble " had been seen on the previous day sailing southward, 

 having waited at Cape York till the limit of time specified in her 

 instructions had been exceeded and she was relieved by the " Ariel." 

 Still on the look out for Kennedy's expedition, the "Bramble " 

 actually lowered a boat the following morning, as if with intent 

 to land a party. Failing, however, to see the signals made by the 

 men on shore, the schooner CONTINUED ON HER SOUTHWARD VOYAGE, 

 and the sufferers were apparently left to their fate. The events of 

 these two days are best related in Carron's own tragic words : 



" ist December. The wind was blowing strong from the south-east this morning. 

 On going up the hill in the afternoon, I saw a schooner from the northward beating 

 to the southward. I supposed her to be the ' Bramble? as it was about the time 

 Mr. Kennedy had given me expectation of being relieved by water, and I afterwards 

 found I was right in this supposition. 



" I naturally concluded she had come for us ; and full of hope and joy I immediately 

 hoisted a FLAG on a staff we had previously erected on a part of the hill where it could 

 be seen from any part of the bay. We placed a ball above the flag to put the crew 

 on their guard against the natives. We then collected a quantity of wood, and at 

 dusk lighted a FIRE, and kept it burning till about half-past seven or eight o'clock. 



