CHAPTER LXXXI 

 DONALD LAING 



A PROSPECTING EXPEDITION IN THE 

 McILWRAITH RANGE, 1879-80 



LAING AND PARTY FITTED UP IN COOKTOWN TO LOCATE GOLD-INDICATIONS, SEEN BY 

 JACK PARTY. COEN TO PEACH (ARCHER) RIVER, DECEMBER, 1879. UNSUCCESSFUL 

 PROSPECTING. DISSENSIONS. NORTHWARD. PROSPECTS OF GOLD NEAR HEAD OF 

 ARCHER RIVER. HOMEWARD. ARCHER RIVER. COEN (SOUTH COEN) RIVER. 

 WET SEASON BEGINS, 3OTH DECEMBER. UNSAFE TO STAY LONGER. TERRIFIC 

 RAIN AND WIND. FLY PLAGUE. ATTACK BY NATIVES. Two NARROW ESCAPES. 

 RETURN TO COOKTOWN, 6TH APRIL, 1880. LAING'S HEALTH BROKEN DOWN BY 

 HARDSHIPS. 



DONALD LAING was already well known as a prospector 

 when I arrived in Queensland in 1877. 

 Immediately after my return from the first expedition 

 the Cooktown Prospecting Association equipped a party 

 consisting of Donald Laing (Leader), Tom Johnson, W. Small, 

 Charles Turner, Andrew Stewart and " Soldier Jim " (James, 

 brother of William Jack ?) to prospect the Peach River and other 

 localities in which I had reported the presence of gold. The 

 object was to anticipate Crosbie's Government- aided party. The 

 following account of the trip is abridged from Laing's report, as 

 published in the Cooktown Courier of loth April, 1880, of which 

 I had fortunately kept a copy, and supplemented by a few notes 

 in my possession. 



"After leaving COOKTOWN on Nov. i$th [1879] we arrived a * BATTLE CAMP on 

 the 2ist and left again on the 23rd. . . . [SEE MAP E.] Crossed the Kennedy; 

 no water beyond ; compelled to go right on to SALTWATER CREEK, or WARNER CREEK. 

 Here we saw a few BLACKS, but they never interfered with us, nor we with them. 

 Camped on the north bank of the STEWART RIVER. Started again and made an old 

 camp on the Coen road ; came across MR. JACK'S CAMP [my Camp 36 (I) of 8th September, 

 1879, on the LITTLE STEWART RIVER. R. L. J.] and pushed on to water. . . . 

 Arrived early next morning (December 4) at the LOG HUT on the so-called COEN. 

 [SEE MAP C.] [See Jack, 9th September, 1879.] Spelled the horses a few days, and 

 made a survey for a track to go north ; party and horses all well. 



" We LEFT THE COEN on Monday, late in the afternoon, and made for a small spring 

 I found the day previous. Next morning, while I was mustering the horses, the 

 BLACKS appeared near the camp. After loading up, we took our final departure for 

 further north ; course N.W. [probably down CROLL CREEK. R. L. J.]. We 

 reached, after passing over 16 miles of poor teatree country, a muddy creek; water 



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