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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- To-day was spent in camp by the party whilst
anxiously awaiting the arrival of the pack-horses, but night fell
without their making their appearance. They had nothing to eat, and
as there was no game to be got, they decided on killing a calf, but
in this they were disappointed, as the little animal eluded them, and
bolted into the scrub. They therefore had to go "opossuming," and
succeeding in catching three, which, with a few small fish, formed
their supper.
'November' 8. - At daylight this morning, Alexander Jardine
succeeded in "potting" the calf that had eluded them yesterday, which
gave the party a satisfactory meal. Another anxious day was passed
without the arrival of the pack-horses, and the Leader had the
annoyance of finding on counting the cattle, that between twenty or
thirty were missing. Being now seriously anxious about the
pack-horses, he determined if they did not arrive that night, to
despatch his brother to look after them.
'November' 9. - The horses not having arrived, Alexander Jardine
started to see what had happened: he met the party with them half
way, and learned some heavy news. In the afternoon of the 5th (the
day on which the Brothers started with the cattle), the grass around
the camp had, by some culpable carelessness, been allowed to catch
fire, by which half their food and nearly all their equipment were
burnt. The negligence was the more inexcusable, as before starting,
Alexander Jardine had pulled up the long grass around the tents at
the camp, which should have put them on their guard against such a
contingency, one for which even less experienced bushmen are supposed
to be watchful during the dry season.
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