254 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



If the guns and powder had not been damaged by the constant rain, 

 he believed that Kennedy would have got through. 



An OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION, ordered by the Attorney-General, 

 was held on 6th March at the Water Police Court by Captains 

 Innes and Browne. 



CARRON put in his diary of the period during which he was in 

 charge of the party left at the mouth of the Pascoe. The subse- 

 quently published booklet gives the substance of the diary put into 

 narrative form, together with the previous part of the journey from 

 Rockingham Bay to the Pascoe, which was compiled from an abstract 

 of his private diary. 



GODDARD'S examination added nothing to Carron's narrative, 

 but he gave instances of Kennedy's consideration for the subordinate 

 members of his party. 



Dr. VALLACK put in the Statement of Jackey-Jackey which he 

 had taken on board the " Ariel " and gave an account of the voyage 

 of the " Ariel " to Shelburne Bay and Weymouth Bay, and the 

 doings on shore in these localities, but added practically nothing 

 to the " Statement " included in the booklet. 



The evidence was handed to the Attorney-General, who sub- 

 mitted it to the Government. 



On 9th March, the Colonial Secretary, the Hon. E. Deas 

 Thomson, officially announced the fate of the expedition in the 

 Government Gazette. The announcement pays a high tribute 

 to Kennedy and Carron and generously recognises the devoted 

 services of Jackey-Jackey. It contains also the statement that 

 " it is hoped from the documents which have been preserved, a 

 narrative of the expedition may be compiled for publication at 

 a future date." 



On 25th April, 1849, tne Governor, Sir Charles Fitzroy, 

 transmitted the PAPERS relating to the expedition to Earl Grey, 

 who replied : 



" DOWNING STREET, ist October, 1849. 

 " SIR, 



" I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 55, of the 25th 

 of April last, with the PAPERS which accompanied it, containing an account of the 

 exploratory expedition undertaken by Mr. Assistant Surveyor Kennedy, and of the 

 investigation which had taken place into the circumstances connected with the 

 death of that gentleman and others of his party. 



" I have read the melancholy narrative contained in these documents with much 

 regret, and it has given me deep concern to observe the loss of life which has resulted 

 from the undertaking. I avail myself, however, of the earliest opportunity of 

 expressing to you the sense which I entertain of the courage and enterprise shown 

 by every individual belonging to the party, by whom, notwithstanding so calamitous 

 an issue, much appears to have been achieved ; and I especially appreciate the intrepid 

 zeal and energy by which their leader would seem to have been distinguished. 



" I have, &c., 



" GREY. 

 " Governor Sir Charles A. Fitzroy." 



