CHAPTER XLVI 

 THE JARDINE BROTHERS' EXPEDITION, continued 



FRESH HORSES PROCURED. RETURN OF THE BROTHERS TO CAMP 87. NATIVES ENJOY 

 A GARGANTUAN MEAL. WHOLE PARTY LEAVES CAMP 87. SWIMMING JARDINE 

 RIVER. A RAFT. COWDEROY NARROWLY ESCAPES DROWNING. CAMP 89. 

 SWIMMING COWAL CREEK. ANOTHER HORSE DROPPED. CAMP 90. TELEGRAPH 

 LINE. CUTTING SCRUB AT WIMMERAH CREEK. MORE CATTLE LOST. THREE 

 HORSES EXHAUSTED. CAMP 91. CATTLE REACH CAMP 92 AT VALLACK POINT, 

 THE SlTE SELECTED FOR A CATTLE STATION. THE " MlGHT HAVE BEEN." 

 HOSTILITY OF NATIVES. GEOGRAPHICAL RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. PHOTO- 

 GRAPHS. DEATH OF FRANK JARDINE, 1919. His DIARY. FATE OF EULAH. 



THE 2nd, $rd and qtk March, 1865, were spent in getting 

 five fresh horses across the Strait from Albany Island 

 and in selecting a SITE FOR THE CATTLE STATION. (SEE 



MAP A.) The spot chosen was at VALLACK POINT, 

 3 miles south of Somerset. 



On $th March, the two Brothers left Somerset for Camp 87, 

 with black guides to show them the best track. They were also 

 accompanied by a younger brother, John, 1 the " Jock " whose 

 name, as pronounced by the friendly natives on the 1st March, 

 sounded like " Dzocko." The guides led for some time by the line 

 of marked trees to the SW. which was " a fair road for the cattle " 

 and only presented a few light belts of scrub. The first night was 

 spent where the Brothers had camped with the tribe on 1st March, 

 which was 17 miles from Somerset by the new track. Next 

 day (6th March) the Brothers took the lead and in 22 miles 

 reached the JARDINE RIVER nearly opposite CAMP 87. The river 

 was still high and had been even higher during their absence. It 

 was too late in the day for the party to cross, but two of the black 

 guides swam over and returned with a large supply of beef. This 

 was welcome enough to the whites, but to the native guides, who 

 had never before seen cattle or fresh beef, it was nothing less than 

 a revelation. The feast the blacks indulged in was a GARGANTUAN 

 MEAL which filled the Brothers with awe. 



The whole party swam across to CAMP 87 next morning (jth 

 March), and were confronted with the familiar tale of missing 

 horses and cattle. One of the horses had died. A beast was 

 killed and with its hide a RAFT was constructed, having a carrying 

 capacity of 400 Ib. 



1 Afterwards the owner of Aberfoyle Station, near Hughenden. 

 334 



