STATEN RIVER TO JARDINE RIVER 305 



saved from the fire and two pairs of boots the only ones the 

 Brothers had ; and the other was filled with oddments, such as 

 files, gimlets, ragstone, steel, weighing maching, awls, tomahawks, 

 American axes, shoeing tools and a number of things that they could 

 not do without ; but perhaps the most important loss was that of the 

 spade, to which they had many times been indebted for water. 

 The losses also included the mallet and chisel with which the suc- 

 cessive numbers of the camps had hitherto been cut on trees. 



ALICK had spent a day (nth December) in searching for WATER, 

 and was rewarded by finding it in a creek 8 miles north-north-west 

 of Camp 38. One day's march in the right direction was thus 

 secured. 



During the detention at Camp 38, Richardson determined the 

 variation of the compass to be 4 degrees east (misprinted " 40 

 degrees " in Byerley). Previously he had been allowing 6 degrees. 



To the other considerations which so urgently dictated a for- 

 ward movement, was now added the ILLNESS of SCRUTTON and 

 COWDEROY, brought on by drinking the impure water of Camp 38. 



The party fared forth on i$tb December, and in 8 miles 

 reached the place where water was known. Alick, however, riding 

 ahead of the main body, had come on water four miles further on, 

 in what was probably LEICHHARDT'S " ROCKY CREEK," and the 

 cattle were brought on. A disappointment ensued when the 

 water turned out, although covered with nympbea, to be salt. 

 Good water was luckily found a mile up the creek to the east (CAMP 

 39). At this camp a fine barramundi was caught and six whistling 

 ducks were shot. 



With the intention of striking the Mitchell about the head 

 of the tide, the course was altered next day (i^tb December) to 

 north-east. Water was passed at 5 miles and 9 miles from 

 Camp 39, and CAMP 40 was pitched on a well-watered creek at 

 14 miles (DUNBAR CREEK). Richardson gives the latitude of the 

 camp as 15 56' 31" S. 



The position assigned to Camp 40 is on what is called the 

 :< NASSAU RIVER " in the 4-mile map (1910) and in the " Tenure 

 Map" (December, 1911). As has already been pointed out, the 



RIVER SO CALLED BY CARSTENSZOON, in 1623, is that WHICH THE 



JARDINE BROTHERS FOLLOWED DOWN FROM CAMP 24 TO CAMP 36. 

 Modern maps show that the water-course (15 53' S. lat.), erroneously 

 named the Nassau River (the NASSAU, DE FACTO), is ONE OF THE MOUTHS 

 OF THE MITCHELL RIVER, which leaves the main stream at BURKE'S 

 LAGOON, near Dunbar cattle station, and is there known as DUNBAR 

 CREEK. CAMP 40 may, therefore, be placed with confidence on 

 DUNBAR CREEK. Between their 38th and 39th camps, the Brothers 

 must have crossed the (apparently insignificant) water-course which, 

 some 10 miles to the west, becomes the Revier Nassau (16 10' S. 

 lat.) and which Carstenszoon, of the" Pera" named on 29th April, 



I 20 



