290 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



to lead such an expedition as that on which they were about to 

 embark. For them no glamour of romance shone in the far north 

 to lure them to adventure. Their object was strictly business. 

 Their attitude towards the natives was from the first fair and con- 

 siderate, but on the other hand they were determined to " stand 

 no nonsense." The lessons unintentionally taught by Leichhardt 

 and Kennedy had not been thrown away upon the young explorers. 

 They chose their line of advance with a view to its capacity for 

 the support of travelling cattle. 



In the sixteen years that had elapsed since Kennedy had set 

 out from Rockingham Bay, the settlement of northern Queensland 

 had made rapid strides. Ports had been opened at MACKAY, 

 BOWEN, CARDWELL and SOMERSET, and pastoral occupation was 

 approaching the Gulf of Carpentaria. The whole of the CAPE 

 YORK PENINSULA, however, was still unoccupied except for the 

 settlement at its extreme northern point, and the BROTHERS JARDINE 

 were destined to be the FIRST TO TRAVERSE IT from end to end. The 

 ill-starred KENNEDY, as we have already seen, almost succeeded, 

 but laid down his life within a few miles of the goal. 



The younger brother, ALICK, led a party of ten, with thirty-one 

 horses, overland from Rockhampton (i4th May, 1864) to Bowen 

 (iyth June). Six more HORSES were added when the elder brother, 

 FRANK, joined the party at Bowen on i6th July and five more 

 belonging to MR. RICHARDSON, the Surveyor, brought the total 

 up to forty-two. The CATTLE were collected at Bowen, and, as 

 opportunity offered, between Bowen and CARPENTARIA DOWNS. 

 The latter station, which had recently been taken up by J. G. 

 MACDONALD, was at that time the NORTHMOST dwelling-place 

 along the Jardines' route, and they selected it as the spot where 

 their expedition was to be finally mobilised. 



The PARTY which left Carpentaria Downs included : Frank 

 Lascelles Jardine ; Alick Jardine ; Archibald J. Richardson 

 (Surveyor) ; C. Scrutton ; R. N. Binney ; A. Cowderoy and four 

 black boys named Eulah, Peter, Sambo and Barney ; ten persons 

 in all. They carried " provisions estimated to last, with care, four 

 months." The main item was 1,200 Ib. of flour. The " mob " 

 of cattle numbered about 250 head of bullocks and cows. 



The CARPENTARIA DOWNS STATION of these days was the " OLD " 

 STATION, now shown in the i6-mile map in 18 37' 10" S. lat., 

 while the modern station, of which I saw the beginnings in 1886, is 

 also shown on the map in 18 44'. (SEE MAP P.) It was situated 

 on the right, or eastern, bank of the EINASLEIGH RIVER which was 

 then believed to be Leichhardt's " LYND." A station higher up 

 the valley, to the south, still retains the latter name. 



While waiting for his brother at Carpentaria Downs, ALICK 

 JARDINE set out on yd September to reconnoitre the route to be 

 followed by the expedition down the SUPPOSED LYND RIVER. He 



