THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 39 



The principal object of my mission to Queensland being to 

 fulfil a request of Baron von Mueller, to effect, if safely possible, 

 the ascent of Mount Bellenden-Ker, I shifted my camp to the 

 Russell River ; Mr. Froggatt having finished on the Barron, 

 accompanied me ; we pitched our camp on Harvey's Creek. 

 Leaving the camp in charge of Mr. Froggatt, I proceeded with a 

 kanaka in a flat-bottomed boat up the Russell to prospect for a 

 likely place to ascend the mount. I had proceeded about 14 

 miles when the boat sank through coming in contact with a 

 partially hidden snag; fortunately we lost nothing, though 

 everything got wet. We raised the boat, patched it up, and 

 went on our way, and on getting half a mile further observed 

 blacks on the river bank. They cleared out on our approach, 

 but sometime after we saw them following the boat under 

 cover of the scrub. I did not like their movements, and as 

 they all had stones in their hands, and knowing them to be 

 particularly savage and treacherous in this locality, I fired a 

 shot from a rifle, and they disappeared. At night we slept in 

 the boat, keeping watch in turns. Getting under way next 

 morning we had not proceeded far when our boat again cap- 

 sized, and our provisions were lost, therefore we had to return 

 for more to the nearest settlers. The current was running 

 pretty strong, and we did not need to use the oars. On 

 getting to the place where we had previously seen the blacks, 

 we again saw them, but only three in number. One of them 

 was leaning against a tree, and the sharp eyes of the kanaka 

 detected a spear that he was trying to conceal behind him. 

 As the current would take us immediately under the bank on 

 which the myall was standing, I, fearing that he would launch 

 the spear, fired a shot, and he dropped immediately on all 

 fours (no doubt thinking I had taken aim), and crawled into 

 the scrub, while the rest also vanished. We got more stores 

 from the settlers, and I was about to start up the river again 

 when Mango said, " Massa, s'pose you go long ribber to-night, 

 blackfellow kill you altogether," so I took his advice and 

 remained until morning. It was fortunate that I did so, for on 

 reaching the spot where we were threatened, I found the only 

 channel blocked by timber that the blacks had fallen (they are 

 in possession of axes, scrub knives, etc., having killed and 

 plundered a settler about 1 2 months ago). We dragged the boat 

 around the obstruction, and proceeded on our way ; but on 

 heavy rains setting in and the blacks menacing, I thought it 

 advisable to return to camp. 



Some time after, Mr. Froggatt volunteering to accompany me, 

 we started with the object of tracing Harvey's Creek, as we had. 

 an idea that it took its source from the Bellenden-Ker Ranges, 

 although we were assured by a party (who professed to know) 

 that it did not do so. 



