

JARDINE RIVER AND ESCAPE RIVER 327 



" Even now," continued Byerley, " FRANK JARDINE was uncertain 

 as to what stream they were on, and still LEANED TO THE BELIEF 

 THAT IT WAS THE ESCAPE." " The necessity for reaching their 

 journey's end was becoming urgent, for their tea and sugar were 

 exhausted." 



On this, their SECOND EXCURSION undertaken with the object 

 of finding a way to the north, the Brothers and Eulah spent four 

 days (6th to 9th February). Leaving the Jardine opposite Camp 82, 

 they rode NNE. and at 15 miles found themselves on " a line of 

 high ridges forming a saddle-range." This was the WATERSHED OF 

 THE PENINSULA, probably a little east of my Camp 64. From this 

 range they obtained a view of the PACIFIC OCEAN and could dis- 

 tinguish a few small islands, probably ARNOLD and SINCLAIR and 

 possibly MILMAN ISLANDS. They could not, however, see clearly 

 because of the drizzling rain. Now turning N. by E, 1 they got, at 

 an estimated distance of 5 miles [say 9. R. L. J.] from the water- 

 shed, on a white hill [SHARP PEAK ? R, L. J.] from which they 

 looked on NEWCASTLE BAY, which was about half a mile off. Then 

 they skirted the coast for 3 miles to the west, and CAMPED. 

 This westward stretch of coast was evidently that opposite the 

 south end of TURTLE ISLAND. Their camp of this night (6th 

 February) must have been in the immediate vicinity of KENNEDY'S 



FIRST CAMP ON THE ESCAPE. 



The following morning (jtb February) they came on what they 

 correctly surmised to be the MOUTH OF THE VERITABLE ESCAPE RIVER. 

 It was three-quarters of a mile in width and running rapidly " from 

 the NW." The flow, as given, is probably a clerical error in Frank 

 Jardine's notes. The adjoining COUNTRY was " VILLAINOUS " 

 with boggy swamps, brushwood and scrub. 



For three days (jth, 8th and gth February) the Brothers erred 

 and strayed over the western side of the little peninsula almost 

 encircled by the Escape River and the Pacific Ocean. Again and 

 again they tried in vain to CROSS THE ESCAPE, the mosquitoes and 

 the bogs and scrubs of the VILLAINOUS COUNTRY combining to reduce 

 the horses to the last stage of debility. 



It is impossible to chart these wanderings from the bearings and 

 distances given. The Brothers met the same difficulties which had 

 made a pothook of KENNEDY'S ROUTE seventeen years before. Even 

 eighteen years later, in spite of having the experiences of my two 

 predecessors to warn me, I HAD TO " HEAD " THE ESCAPE, after trying 

 to cross it. 



FRANK JARDINE HAD COME ROUND AGAIN TO THE BELIEF, which 

 he had persisted in almost against the evidences of his senses, THAT 

 THE JARDINE RIVER WAS ONLY THE HEAD OF THE ESCAPE, his theory 



1 It is doubtful whether the Brothers carried, or used, a pocket compass. They 

 would trust, like bushmen, to taking their bearings from the sun, which, in such weather, 

 would be a poor guide. 



