STATEN RIVER TO JARDINE RIVER 303 



on the trees proclaimed that at any moment the water might rise 

 above the heads of the travellers. (SEE MAP H.) At least one large 

 river, the MITCHELL, was known to cross their path to the north. And 

 the WET SEASON might set in to-morrow, if reliance could be placed 

 upon what was then known of meteorological conditions in Northern 

 Queensland. The supply of farinaceous FOOD was already limited 

 and had been seriously diminished by fire. Finally, the hostility 

 and treachery of the ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS had to be taken into 

 consideration. The Brothers must have marvelled day by day, 

 as every explorer of these regions has done, why the blacks did not 

 compass their death by the simple expedient of killing their horses 

 when the latter strayed from the camps in search of grass. Thanks 

 only to the limited intelligence of the natives, this method of 

 warfare does not appear to have suggested itself. 



It is probable enough that the Brothers themselves, their black 

 boys and some of the white men, might, if the blacks had let them 

 alone, with their skill in bushmanship, have contrived to subsist for 

 a time on the natural products of the country even if they had lost 

 all the cattle and horses, as well as their rations. But the savages 

 would certainly have waited for the time when relaxed watchful- 

 ness, hunger and fatigue would make them an easy prey, as in the 

 case of Kennedy. 



Everything pointed emphatically to the necessity for an imme- 

 diate CHANGE OF COURSE to the north, with a leaning to the east, 

 to escape from a country subject to periodical, and now imminent, 



INUNDATION. 



With much rejoicing, the whole expedition turned their backs 

 on their Camp 36, on the STATEN RIVER, dejfacto, on 5th December, 

 1864, and after crossing sand flats and sandy ridges covered with 

 tea tree, camped in a dry swamp (CAMP 37), say 10 miles 1 from 

 Camp 36. This camp must have been very near LEICHHARDT'S 

 CAMP of 4th July, 1845, in 16 15' 11" S. lat. A little slimy green 

 water was, however, found about 2-J- miles to north-north-west. 



Next morning (6th December), half the HORSES were MISSING, 

 and the camp was shifted to the green water (CAMP 38). After 

 having been packed for this short journey, a very useful MULE 

 slipped away and got lost, carrying with him a load of " indis- 

 pensable " articles. He only got ten minutes' start, but he travelled 

 faster than a black boy could track his footprints. 



The Brothers found nine of the horses at Camp 35 and camped 

 there for the night, without food or blankets, and with myriads 

 of mosquitoes for company. They returned to Camp 38 next day 

 (jth December), to learn that five of the horses and the MULE were still 

 MISSING, Sambo and Binney having searched for them in vain. 



i F. Jardine says 13 ; Richardson 12. Both continually over-estimate distances 

 made, though perhaps not distances covered. At Camps 35, 36 and 37, the Jardines 

 must have been on or near Leichhardt's track of 6th and yth July, 1845. 



