3 io NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



for the cattle (CAMP 53). This may have been the other mouth 

 of the HOLROYD RIVER above referred to. 



2%th December. The cattle satisfied their thirst 5 miles north 

 of Camp 53, at a fine sheet of water in the river which the 

 Brothers named HOLROYD CREEK. The river is described as having 

 a sandstone bed with several channels. Two miles further north 

 was another similar stream which was named DUNSMUIR CREEK. 

 Both streams are channels of the HOLROYD RIVER which was surveyed 

 in September, 1885, by Mr. Embley. The upper reaches of this 

 river were named the Lukin River in 1875 by Mulligan. The 

 river rises far to the east in the Hamilton Goldfield. 



Four miles north of the Holroyd River (inundable box flats), 

 THALIA CREEK, a salt-water inlet, was met with. On following 

 the creek up to the east for a mile and a half, CAMP 54 was pitched 

 on a lotus lagoon, where the water was only slightly brackish. 



The party had hardly settled down in Camp 54 and were digging 

 trenches and making such other preparations as they could for an 

 impending thunderstorm, when the BLACK BOY who had been 

 tailing the cattle, came in with the report that he had been PURSUED 

 BY NATIVES, who were now engaged in " RUNNING " THE HORSES. 

 The Brothers and Scrutton rushed out and found the horses 

 flying about in all directions, while a party of natives waited for 

 the men. " When the distance had been reduced to 60 yards, 

 SPEARS began to fly and were answered by Terry BREECH-LOADERS. 

 The blacks (some of whom were observed to be unusually tall) 

 ultimately retired, having paid for their gratuitous attack by the 

 loss of some of their companions " (Byerley, p. 40). " The 

 THUNDERSTORM now broke with great violence, and the frightened 

 CATTLE STAMPEDED from the camp. The rain continued to fall 

 heavily until midnight." 



There is a very unsatisfactory discrepancy between the narratives 

 of Frank Jardine and Richardson concerning the proceedings of 

 29th, 3oth and 3 1st December. I am inclined to follow Richardson, 

 as his sole business was to chart the progress of the main caravan, 

 while the Brothers Jardine went " majormitchelling " in search 

 of country which would be safe in a time of floods, and perhaps 

 their notes were not very intelligible to their editor, Byerley. 



From THALIA CREEK (Camp 54) it appears that Richardson and 

 the cattle on 2qtb December travelled ENE. for about 4 miles, 

 when a TIDAL RIVER, 40 yards wide, was met with. (SEE MAP D.) 

 Frank Jardine, on a NNE. course, had struck it further west, 

 where he estimated the width of the stream at 100 yards. 

 The river was followed up by Richardson, the pack-horses and 

 the cattle for ii miles before it could be forded. In the next 

 5i miles, on the ENE. course, the inundable tea-tree flats began 

 to be varied by low ridges covered with bloodwood. CAMP 55 

 was pitched beside a tea-tree swamp. Heavy rain fell at night. 



