CARRON'S PARTY AT THE PASCOE RIVER 255 



On 1 7th July, 1849, on the motion of Mr. Darvall, a sum of 

 100 was placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the erection 

 of a MEMORIAL TABLET in St. James' Church, Sydney. The vote 

 was carried on a division by twenty-one votes to four. In the course 

 of the debate, the Colonial Secretary (the Hon. E. Deas Thomson) 

 said : 



" A NARRATIVE BY ONE OF THE SURVIVORS WOULD SHORTLY BE PUBLISHED, and 



advantage had been taken of the departure of a vessel to Torres Straits to send down 

 Mr. Kennedy's faithful companion Jackey-Jackey, in the hope of recovering the 

 Journal of the former. The Journal had not been found, but A CASE HAD BEEN 

 DISCOVERED, somewhat affected by damp, in which were many VALUABLE MAPS, 

 delineating the route pursued by Mr. Kennedy and the general features of the 

 country through which he passed. THESE DOCUMENTS, he was happy to inform the 

 House, WOULD SUPPLY A GOOD DEAL OF INFORMATION at present wanting, and would 

 serve as a material guide to any person attempting the same route." 



The principal objector was MR. ROBERT LOWE, afterwards 

 Lord Sherbrooke. His arguments were : (i), that " the expedition 

 was a most ill-advised one, and was commenced by the Government 

 on its own responsibility, without consulting the Council " ; and, 

 (2), that the expense should be defrayed by private subscription 

 rather than be taken from the public purse. 



The mural tablet in St. James' Church is of white marble. A 

 bas-relief representing Kennedy lying under a palm tree and sup- 

 ported by his faithful Squire, with armed savages in the distance, is 

 followed by the inscription : 



THIS TABLET 



Erected by the Executive Government pursuant to a Vote of the Legislative 

 Council of New South Wales in testimony of the respect and gratitude of the 

 inhabitants of the Colony commemorates the active services and early death of 



EDMUND BESLEY COURT KENNEDY 



who, after having completed the Survey of the River Victoria, was chosen by the 

 Government to conduct the 



FIRST EXPLORATION OF YORK PENINSULA, 



where, after the most patient and persevering exertions, to overcome the physical 

 difficulties of the country, and the destructive effects of consequent disease, by 

 which the expedition, originally consisting of thirteen persons, was reduced to three, 

 he was slain by the Aborigines in the vicinity of Escape River on the I3th December, 

 A.D. I848. 1 



Falling a sacrifice, in the 3ist year of his age, to the Cause of Science, the 

 Advancement of the Colony and the Interests of Humanity. 



1 My reading of Jackey-Jackey's statement renders the date more probably 

 5th December. The writer of the inscription had no better evidence to guide him 

 than that which is before me. R. L. J. 



