1849 VOYAGE OF THE 'RATTLESNAKE' 61 



After months of weary struggles in the dense scrub, 

 Kennedy himself, who had pushed on for help with 

 his faithful black man Jacky, was speared by the 

 natives when almost in sight of Cape York ; Jacky 

 barely managed to make his way there through his 

 enemies, and guided a party to the rescue of the two 

 starved and exhausted survivors of the disease-stricken 

 camp by the Sugarloaf Hill. It was barely time. 

 Another hour, and they too would have been killed 

 by the crowd of blackfellows who hovered about in 

 hopes of booty, and were only dispersed for a moment 

 by the rescue party. 



On the third cruise there were a few adventures 

 more directly touching the Rattlesnake. Twice the 

 landing parties, including Huxley, were within an 

 ace of coming to blows with the islanders of the 

 Louisiades, and on one occasion a portly member of 

 the gun-room, being cut off by these black gentry, 

 only saved his life by parting with all his clothes as 

 presents to them, and keeping them amused by an 

 impromptu dance in a state of nature under the 

 broiling sun, until a party came to his relief. At 

 Cape York also, a white woman was rescued who 

 had been made prisoner by the blacks from a wreck, 

 and had lived among them for several years. Here, 

 too, Huxley and Macgillivray made a trip inland, 

 and were welcomed by a native chief, who saw in 

 the former the returning spirit of his dead brother. 



Throughout the voyage Huxley was busy with his 

 pencil, and many lithographs from his drawings 



