MULLIGAN'S FIRST PALMER EXPEDITION 415 



June. Prospecting near this camp, " colours " of GOLD were 

 obtained. He had passed in the course of the day what was 

 subsequently known as " FISCHERTON," the centre of the TATE 

 RIVER MINERAL FIELD. 



Leaving the Tate on 22nd June, Mulligan took a NNW. course, 

 parallel to Hann's homeward track (Camps 82-84) and from 4 to 12 

 miles to the east of it. His CAMP 6 was on BLACK GIN CREEK, 

 a tributary of the Tate. His CAMP 7 (23^ June) was on the 

 WALSH RIVER, near the mouth of MULDIVA CREEK. (SEE MAP G.) 

 Here he got " colours " of gold, and observed " thousands of 

 BLACKS' TRACKS." 



Down the WALSH to the infall of ELIZABETH CREEK, Mulligan's 

 track coincided with Hann's outward track (Hann's Camps 10-12). 

 Mulligan's CAMP 9 was Hann's 8oth camp on the return journey, 

 and is now the site of the WALSH TELEGRAPH STATION. 



Northward from the Walsh to MOUNT MULGRAVE, Mulligan 

 was on, or not far from, Hann's return track (Camps 78-79). His 

 CAMP 10 (26tb June), on the Mitchell, was about 2 miles west of 

 Hann's Camp 16, i.e., down the river. Here he got colours of 

 GOLD and observed that the " DARKIES " were numerous. He 

 passed Mount Mulgrave on its eastern side, and his CAMP II (28*^ 

 June) was on the head of Fox CREEK, a tributary of the Palmer. 

 Keeping the THOMPSON RANGE on his right, he dropped down on 

 the PALMER on 29^ June (CAMP 12), about a mile above what 

 was soon to become the township of PALMERVILLE. 



The ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS of the Palmer valley had seen 

 KENNEDY'S PARTY in 1848, and in 1872 HANN'S PARTY had been 

 there twice, having spent sixteen days on the first occasion. It was 

 obvious to the natives that their country was becoming too much 

 of a thoroughfare, and Mulligan's invasion could not be passed 

 over without a protest. Accordingly the prospecting party had 

 barely settled down when an attempt was made to burn them out 

 by SETTING FIRE TO THE GRASS. The catastrophe was averted by 

 the usual bush expedient of anticipating the fire by burning a 

 ring of grass, taking care that the flames did not spread inward. 

 In the meantime, the blacks climbed a hill from which they threw 

 down great stones, shouted and brandished SPEARS. That night a 

 watch was set and the camp was never after left with less than 

 two men while the other members of the party pursued their 

 avocations. 



Having moved camp twice for a short distance up the Palmer, 

 the first week's PROSPECTING was rewarded by six ounces of GOLD. 



About a dozen BLACKS appeared on 6th July, but they were 

 " civil," and the interview ended with the " exchange of cooeys " 

 and mutual invitations to visit one another's camps, mutually 

 declined owing to mutual distrust. 



At a THIRD CAMP up the river, PAYABLE GOLD was again met 



