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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My Sons Have Experienced A Severe Disappointment To Their Hopes
And Expectations In The Nature Of The Country Around, And Within A
Reasonable Distance Of This Place, As Well As A Heavy Loss In
Prosecuting Their Undertaking.
However at their ages, 23 and 21
respectively, the spirit is very buoyant, and they are again quite
ready for another venture.
Their journey, which, from the nature of
the country traversed, has been one of unusual difficulty and
hardship; and it is surprising to me that, hampered as they were with
a herd of 250 cattle, for which providing food and water in a barren
and unknown country is in itself no easy matter, they should have
come through so successfully.
6. Next to the general barrenness of the country, the difficulties
they had to encounter were - first, the destruction of a quantity of
their supplies and gear, through the camp being carelessly permitted
to catch fire during their absence in pioneering the route. Next,
the determined hostility of the natives, who were almost continually
on their track, annoying them on every favorable opportunity; on one
occasion, the crossing of the "Mitchell," opposing them so
obstinately that a considerable number were shot before they would
give way. Then the loss of two-thirds of their horses (all the best)
from eating some poisonous plant, and which necessitated the last 300
miles of the journey being travelled on foot; and last, the flooded
state of the country during the season of the rains.
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