They Had Naturally Fallen Into Some Error, And Had Imagined The Natives To Be Describing The Recent Murder Of A European Party Coming Down The Darling With Stock, Instead Of Their Narrating, As Was In Reality The Case, An Old Story Of The Affray With Major Mitchell Some Years Before.

As Captain Sturt was still at the Rufus (150 miles from Moorunde) when he received the account, as he

Imagined, of so sanguinary an affray, he felt anxious to communicate the occurrence to the Colonial Government as early as possible, and for this purpose, induced two natives to bring down despatches to Moorunde. Upon their arrival there, the policeman was absent in town, and I had no means of sending in the letters to the Government, but by natives. Two undertook the task, and walked from Moorunde to Adelaide with the letters, and brought answers back again to the station within five days, having walked 170 miles in that period, Moorunde being 85 miles from Adelaide.

Again upon the Government wishing to communicate with Captain Sturt, letters were taken by the natives up to the Rufus, delivered over to other natives there, and by them carried onwards to Captain Sturt, reaching that gentleman on the eleventh day after they been sent from Moorunde, at Laidley's Ponds, a distance of 300 miles.

By this means a regular intercourse was kept up with the exploring party, entirely through the aid and good feeling of the natives, up to the time I left the colony, in December, 1844, when messengers who had been sent up with despatches were daily expected back with answers.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 878 of 914
Words from 244532 to 244801 of 254601