246 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



I then fired off three ROCKETS one after the other, at intervals of about twenty minutes. 

 I also took a large PISTOL up the hill, and stood for some time firing it as quickly as I 

 could load it, thinking they might perhaps see the flash of that, if they had not seen 

 the rockets. 



" 2nd December. Early this morning I was up, straining my eyes to catch a view 

 of the bay, and at length saw the schooner standing in to the shore, and during the 

 forenoon a BOAT was LOWERED. I now made quite certain they were coming for us, 

 and thinking they might come up the creek in the boat for some distance, I hastened 

 down the hill and began to pack up a few things, determined to keep them waiting for 

 our luggage no longer than I could help. I looked anxiously for them all the afternoon, 

 wondering much at their delay in coming, until at last I went up the hill, just in time 

 to see the SCHOONER PASSING THE BAY. I cannot describe the feeling of despair and 

 desolation which I, in common with the rest of our party, experienced as we gazed 

 on the vessel as she fast faded from our view. On the very BRINK OF STARVATION 

 AND DEATH death in the lone wilderness, peopled only with the savage denizens of 

 the forest, who even then were thirsting for our blood HOPE, sure and certain hope, 

 had for one brief moment gladdened our hearts with the consoling assurance that, 

 after our many trials and protracted sufferings, we were again about to find comfort 

 and safety. But the bright expectancy FADED ; and although we strove to persuade 

 ourselves that the vessel was not the ' Bramble? our hearts sunk within us in deep 

 despondency." 



The remainder of the story of the camp cannot be better told 

 than in Carron's own words, on which it is impossible to improve, 

 and which I only abridge in a few places where incidents have 

 already been related. 



> 



" gth December. The NATIVES visited us this morning and brought with them a 

 few pieces of turtle's entrails and a few nondas. I gave them an old shirt and a knife, 

 the latter being highly prized by them. GODDARD had a fit of AGUE to-day, followed 

 by FEVER. 



" loth December. We all of us had fits of AGUE this morning, and none of us could 

 get up till the afternoon, when, being Sunday, I read prayers. 



" nth December. The NATIVES came this morning, and brought us a little vegetable 

 paste, and some pieces of turtle's entrails, with some shark's liver. The latter was 

 fresh, but one could not eat it, as it all melted into a yellowish oil when boiled for 

 a few minutes. I gave them a few fish-hooks, but found it very difficult to get them 

 to leave the camp. 



" i^tb December. This morning MITCHELL was found DEAD by the side of the creek, 

 with his feet in the water. He must have gone down at night to get water, but too 

 much exhausted to perform his task, had sat down and died there. None of us being 

 strong enough to dig a grave for him, we sewed the body in a blanket, with a few 

 stones to sink it, and then put it into the brackish water. 



" \th December. The thermometer fell this morning and was broken. It was 

 raining heavily all day, and two bags of my seeds and several other little things were 

 washed out of the tent by the water which ran down the hill. We were all very ill 

 and weak. 



" 1 6th December. It was raining this morning, and we remained in the tent. 

 Hearing one of our dogs barking, however, I went out and saw several NATIVES with 

 pieces of fish and turtle, which I took from them, when they left us. The natives also 

 brought us some roasted nymphcea roots, which they call ' dillii.' 



" During the last few days we shot seven pigeons. Wall and Goddard used to go 

 into the scrub and sit beneath a tree, to which they used to come for berries to feed 

 their young, and, watching their opportunity, shoot them. 



"21 st December. Our KANGAROO DOG being very weak, and unable to catch anything, 



