CHAPTER LXXIII 

 THE AUTHOR'S EXPLORATIONS, 1879-80, continued 



SECOND EXPEDITION, continued 

 WITH CROSBIE'S PROSPECTING PARTY 



FROM THE PASCOE RIVER TO TEMPLE BAY (OPPOSITE 

 PIPER ISLAND LIGHTSHIP) 



IITH FEBRUARY, 1880. PASCOE RIVER. CAMP 37. POSITION OF CARRON'S CAMP. 

 BLOOD-POISONING FROM SCRUB. HEATH. No GRASS. NORTHWARD. EASTERN 

 ESCARPMENT OF SIR WILLIAM THOMSON RANGE (SANDSTONE TABLELAND) ON 

 LEFT. NORTHWARD ON A LOWER SANDSTONE SHELF. CARRON RANGE, TO EAST, 

 SEEN AND NAMED. SwAMPY HEATH COUNTRY. GlGANTIC TREES. GRASSY FLAT. 

 CAMP 40. ACROSS KENNEDY'S " FORLORN HOPE " TRACK. MOUTH OF GLENNIE 

 CREEK. NORTHWARD ALONG COAST OF TEMPLE BAY. SANDHILLS. NATIVE 

 HUTS ROOFED WITH COPPER. WRECK FOUND. WRECK IDENTIFIED LATER AS THE 

 " KATE CONNOLLY" (MARCH, 1878). BOLT HEAD. MACDONALD ILL. NATIVES. 

 " REMARKABLE RED CLIFF." CAMP 42. SIGNALLING TO PIPER ISLAND LIGHTSHIP. 

 ANSWERED. BOATS LAND MEN FROM LIGHTSHIP. PRELIMINARY REPORT WRITTEN 

 AND SENT. SEVEN BLACKS OFFER TO TRADE FISH. i8TH FEBRUARY. 



ANNOTATED REPRINT 

 (SEE MAP B.) 



OUR camp (37) was probably about 15 miles higher up the 

 river than the place where the unfortunate explorer 

 KENNEDY left the remainder of his party when he set 

 out, accompanied by his black boy, Jackey-Jackey, and 

 three others, who perished, to meet his fate at the Escape River, 

 almost within sight of the ship which was to bring him relief. 

 The hills at FAIR CAPE were doubtless the last objects that met 

 the eyes of Carron and his companions, as one by one they sickened 

 and died while waiting for the relief which was to come too late 

 for all but two of their number. Up the left bank of the river for 

 about 2 miles the country is of the poorest imaginable description. 

 It is a " cement " of decomposed sandstone, intersected by gullies, 

 and clothed with HEATH and small BRUSHWOOD. There is not a 

 blade of grass. 



My hands are in a pitiful condition, being lacerated by the 

 scrub, which seems to be capable of BLOOD-POISONING. They are 

 so painful that I can hardly sleep at nights, and the flies torment 

 me in the daytime. 



February 12. This was a very warm day. We were prepared 



564 



