Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine
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'December' 21. - The rain of last night continuing through the
morning, the party had to start in the down-pour. They crossed
another large shallow sandy creek at four miles, coming from the
eastward running south-east. The camp was formed on a lagoon about a
mile from the river bank. The country traversed was sandy, growing
only coarse wirey grasses and spinifex, sandstone rock cropping out
occasionally above the surface. The river was here a
quarter-of-a-mile wide, salt, and running strongly. Before the
pack-horses came up, a mob of blacks approached the camp, and getting
up in the trees, took a good survey of the white intruders, but on
one of the party going towards them they scampered off over the open
ground towards the river. The recollection of the affair at the
crossing place probably quickening their movements. Just at
sun-down, however, the sharp eyes of the black-boys detected some of
them actually trying to stalk the whites, using green boughs for
screens. So the Brothers taking with them Scrutton and the four
black-boys, started in chase. They were in camp costume, that is to
say, shirt and belt, and all in excellent condition and wind, and now
a hunt commenced, which perhaps stands alone in the annals of nature
warfare. On being detected the natives again decamped, but this time
closely pursued.
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