THE JARDINE BROTHERS' EXPEDITION 335 



Three of the CATTLE were still missing and were LEFT BEHIND 

 when the expedition finally CROSSED THE JARDINE on <)th March. 

 COWDEROY, who was unable to swim, was taken across holding on by 

 the raft, which was upset, and he NARROWLY ESCAPED DROWNING. 

 The passage had been completed in safety by four o'clock and the 

 party camped on the right bank. CAMP 89. 



loth March. The distance covered to the NE. was estimated 

 at 1 1 miles. COWAL CREEK had to be swum early in the day. A 

 HORSE, too much exhausted to travel further, had to be LEFT BEHIND. 

 CAMP 90 must have been close to my Camp 71. 



It may be remarked here that between Cowal Creek and Camp 

 90, the Brothers' line of march is now crossed by the TELEGRAPH 

 LINE, which goes nearly due north to Endeavour Strait, and then 

 follows the beach north-eastward to Cape York. Probably the 

 beach offers much better travelling than was found by the Jardine 

 Brothers or myself. 



i ith March. The LINE OF TREES marked by Mr. John Jardine, 

 Senior, was followed for 10 miles. A long detention took place at 

 a scrub on WIMMERAH CREEK, and here thirty head of CATTLE were 

 LOST. CAMP 91 was pitched on the north side of CHIPPAGYNYA 

 LAKE. THREE HORSES KNOCKED UP. 



The following day (i2th March) was spent in the recovery of 

 twenty-five of the thirty cattle lost at Wimmerah Creek. The 

 camp was not moved. 



On i^th March, the whole party arrived at Vallack Point, 

 CAMP 92, in about 8 miles. About midway they were met at 

 LAKE BORONTO by Mr. John Jardine, Senior. 



Thus ended the long march of the pioneers. Nearly five months 

 had elapsed since they left CARPENTARIA DOWNS, the furthest 

 outpost of civilisation, and the main body had covered about 

 900 miles, irrespective of several hundreds of miles traversed by the 

 Brothers, singly or together, prospecting for " good travelling " 

 for the cattle. 



It is very easy and very cheap to speculate on " the might 

 have been," and yet the temptation to do so is irresistible. 



An actual economy of time would probably have been effected 

 by the Brothers if they had made two separate trips. Had they 

 left the cattle behind, chosen a suitable season, and travelled in 

 light marching order, I have no hesitation in saying, knowing the 

 men as I did, that they could have " romped through," marking 

 a practicable route for the cattle as they went, in a couple of months. 

 They could then have led the cattle to their destination without 

 distress. As it was, the difficulties that met them at every step, 

 and the consequent delays, were due almost entirely to the dragging 

 weight of the helpless tail of cattle; and the cattle had to be 

 knocked about hither and thither while a way was found for them. 



The expedition cannot have been much of a commercial success, 



