EARLY HISTORY 29 



killed." Whether "the Chinaman" was the person who 

 cut down the coco-nut palm is not known, but somehow 

 his fate and that of the palm have become associated. 



The only traces of the expedition of half a century ago 

 are marks upon trees at the mouth of the Hull River — 2 

 miles to the south, at the spot which it appears to have 

 crossed. The object of Kennedy's expedition was to ex- 

 plore the country to the eastward of the dividing range 

 running along the north-east coast of Australia. Diffi- 

 culties assailed them at the outset, as many weeks passed 

 before they got clear of Rockingham Bay, its rivers, 

 swamps, and dense scrubs fenced in by a mountain chain. 

 The cart was abandoned on July 1 8th and the horses were 

 packed. An axle and other ironwork of a cart was found 

 many years ago in the neighbourhood of the upper Murray 

 River. As the axle was slotted for the old style of linch- 

 pins, no reasonable doubt exists as to its identity, and its 

 discovery affords collateral proof of a statement published 

 in Mr Dalrymple's official report — " It is noteworthy that 

 several gins of the Rockingham Bay tribe now in service in 

 private families, and with the native police are unanimous 

 in their statements that an elderly white man is still resi- 

 dent amongst them, and they associate his capture with 

 'white fellow leave him v/heel-barrow along a scrub.' 

 Kennedy abandoned his horse-cart in the scrub of the 

 Rockingham Bay Range before these gins were born." 

 Kennedy's expedition was a disastrous failure. The brave 

 leader was killed by the blacks far up Cape York Penin- 

 sula while he was heroically pushing on to obtain succour 

 for his famishing and weary followers. Three only were 

 subsequently rescued. All this has, perhaps, little to do 

 with Dunk Island : but the scene is so close at hand that 

 the temptation to include a slight reference to one of the 

 most sensational and romantic episodes in the exploration 

 of Australia could not be resisted. 



Twenty-five years lapsed, and then another official 

 landing took place. In the meantime the island had been 

 frequently visited, but there are no records, until the 29th 



