CHAPTER LXXVII 

 THE AUTHOR'S EXPLORATIONS, 1879-80, continued 



SECOND EXPEDITION, continued 

 WITH CROSBIE'S PROSPECTING PARTY 



"SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT," A SUMMARY OF 

 EVENTS FROM TEMPLE BAY TO FALSE ORFORD NESS 



[First Officially Issued, after having been " Presented to Both Houses," 5th July, 

 1 88 1, in Further Reports on the Progress of the Gold-Prospecting Expedition in Cape 

 York Peninsula. R. L. J.] 



RECAPITULATION, CAMP 45 TO CAMP 53. GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. BACK TO 

 CAMP 51. To HANNIBAL BAY. QUESTION OF A WHITE WOMAN AMONG NATIVES. 

 ANY CONNECTION OF THE STORY WITH THE " KATE CONNOLLY " WRECK ? 

 FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE CAMISADE. CENSORSHIP BY MINES DEPARTMENT. 

 HIGH LITERARY STANDARD. EFFECTS OF WOUND. KINDNESS OF THE PROSPECTORS. 

 ON TO CAMP 58. 



(ANNOTATED REPRINT) 



SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT 

 (SEE MAP B.) 



TWO days after the date of my last report [" First Prelimi- 

 nary Report." R. L. J.], the combined prospecting 

 and geological parties left Temple Bay for the ranges to 

 the west. 



Our progress was arrested early on the morning of the 2ist Feb- 

 ruary by a large and deep river running to the north- east, and after 

 vain attempts to cross it, finding that we were being carried to the 

 south and even to the east of south by branching tributaries nearly 

 as formidable as the river itself, and that we were in country which 

 had been lately submerged by frightful floods, of which the daily 

 heavy rains threatened a speedy repetition, we camped and built 

 a CANOE for the transport of our saddles and packs. This work was 

 accomplished in safety on the 23rd. [CAMP 45.] The horses were 

 swum across with much greater difficulty, owing to the strength 

 of the current, the softness of the banks and the number of trees 

 in the middle of the river. ONE OF THE HORSES of the prospecting 

 party was DROWNED. This river, which probably empties itself 



594 



