CHAPTER LXVII 



THE AUTHOR'S EXPLORATIONS, 1879-80 

 INTRODUCTORY AND EXPLANATORY 



GOVERNMENT GEOLOGIST'S OPERATIONS NEAR COOKTOWN. RECONNAISSANCE TO 

 DESERTED COEN DIGGINGS AND NORTHWARD TO PEACH (ARCHER) RIVER, 1879. 

 INDICATIONS OF GOLD REPORTED. INSTRUCTIONS TO LEAD A GOVERNMENT- ASSISTED 

 PROSPECTING PARTY TO THE SPOT. JACK TAKES our CROSBIE'S PARTY. PROSPECT- 

 ING ON PEACH AND OTHER RIVERS, 1879. WET SEASON. EASIER TO MAKE FOR 

 SOMERSET THAN TO RETURN. JOURNEY TO SOMERSET. REPORT WRITTEN ON 

 RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS AT TOWNSVILLE, 1880. SENT TO MINES DEPARTMENT, 

 BRISBANE, WITH MAP, 1880. REPORT PRINTED AND PUBLISHED, WITHOUT THE 

 MAP, 1881. LINES AND INFORMATION GIVEN IN MAP EMBODIED IN MAPS ISSUED 

 BY LANDS DEPARTMENT BEFORE PUBLICATION OF JACK'S REPORT. MAP APPARENTLY 



LOST. JACK PREPARED FOR REISSUE OF REPORT (NOW OUT OF PRINT) WITH MAP, 



1910. JAMES DICK'S PAMPHLET ON THE Two EXPEDITIONS SHOWS NEED FOR 

 REISSUE. THE LOST MAP RECHARTED FROM NOTES. ADJUSTMENT OF ITS LINES 

 TO LATEST OFFICIAL MAPS. DISCOVERY, IN 1919, OF A COPY OF JACK'S OFFICE 

 COPY OF] MISSING MAP ATTACHED TO BRADFORD'S REPORT (1883) ON HIS 

 EXPLORATION RE PROPOSED CAPE YORK TELEGRAPH LINE. DISCOVERY, IN 1920, 

 THAT A COPY OF THE MlSSING MAP HAD BEEN GIVEN IN 1884 BY THE DEPARTMENT 

 OF MINES TO ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LINE. 



FRESH from the work of the Geological Survey of Scotland, 

 I took up the duties of Government Geologist for Queens- 

 land in April, 1877. My headquarters were at Townsville, 

 but the greater part of my time was necessarily spent in 

 the field. In 1879, on tne completion of an examination of the 

 coal resources of the Cooktown district, I made a reconnaissance 

 to the north, leaving Cooktown on I5th August, locating probably 

 auriferous country on the Starcke River, visiting the site of the 

 recently rushed Coen Goldfield, which had already been abandoned, 

 land finding gold (though not in payable quantities) on the Peach 

 River (S. lat. 13 42Q. Having penetrated to Birthday Mount 

 ''13 34/ S.) on i6th September, I bent my steps southward 

 DV a different route and returned to Cooktown on 3rd October. 



The Ministry of the day came to the conclusion that the auri- 

 cerous character of my " furthest north " was worthy of a more 

 searching investigation than circumstances had permitted to me in 

 i time of extreme drought with my poor equipment of spent horses. 

 [ was therefore instructed to lead a party of prospectors to the 

 ; ;cene of operations. 



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