CHAPTER XLV 

 THE JARDINE BROTHERS' EXPEDITION, continued 



RECONNAISSANCE BY THE BROTHERS AND EULAH. SWIMMING THE JARDINE RIVER. A 

 RAFT. STOPPED BY FLOODED CREEK (CowAL CREEK). WILD GRAPES. SWIMMING 

 COWAL CREEK. SUSPENSION BRIDGE. ON JACKEY-JACKEY'S FOOTSTEPS. MEETING 

 WITH FRIENDLY NATIVES. DUG-OUT CANOES. GUIDED TO SOMERSET. MARKED 

 TREE LINE MISSED. THE VAN SPULT RIVER. 



ON 22nd February, 1865, the whole party retraced their 

 steps to CAMP 87. (SEE MAP A.) A day (2yd February) 

 was spent in killing a calf and drying the meat and in the 

 construction of a RAFT like the one employed at Camp 82. 

 The rain was falling heavily and the Jardine River was rising fast. 

 On 2\ib February, the BROTHERS AND EULAH started on a 



THIRD EXCURSION OR RECONNAISSANCE IN SEARCH OF SOMERSET. 



HEAVY RAIN fell during the whole of the day and a COLD WIND 

 nipped the wet and half-clad travellers more severely than they 

 had a right to expect midway between the equator and the Tropic of 

 Capricorn. By this time, however, they had learned the natives' 

 trick of protecting themselves from the elements and the mosquitoes 



by SMEARING THEIR BODIES WITH FAT. 



Opposite CAMP 87, the JARDINE RIVER had to be crossed. The 

 HORSES SWAM gallantly and the RAFT rode well on the flood, but the 

 transit took the whole of the day, the party camping on the right 

 bank of the JARDINE. 



Next day (2$th February) the travellers were arrested only 

 2 miles from the river by COWAL CREEK, which was in high flood, 

 at least half a mile wide, running strongly, and, in short, IMPASSABLE. 

 Three nights (25^, 26th and 2jth) were spent on the LEFT BANK OF 

 THE COWAL, and the days were occupied in trying to find a crossing 

 and hunting for something to supplement the ration of dried veal. 

 The only success in the latter direction was the discovery of the 

 oblate " WILD GRAPES," which Alick said were " very good to eat, 

 but they take all the skin off the tongue and lips." My own 

 experience is that a very few of these " grapes " may be eaten with 

 impunity when dead ripe. 



On 2&th February, the creek had fallen sufficiently to be crossed. 

 There was a rapid current 15 yards wide which the MEN AND HORSES 

 SWAM ACROSS, the saddles, etc., being transported by a SUSPENSION 

 BRIDGE improvised out of tent ropes. On the right bank of the 



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