MORE ABOUT LEICARDT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2666, 2 September 1871, Page 3

MORE ABOUT LEICARDT.

The following is the statement confined in the Paramatta gaol, and which has excited so much interest in Australia:—ln 1848, being then about eighteen years of age, and hearing many strange tales of the blacks, I became possessed by a strong desire to judge for myself as to their truth. Being at that well acquainted with a great many different tribes, 1 thought I might sueeed in getting through them without much difficulty. The commencement of my route -was the Namoi River ; thence by the Mooney to the Baloon, and further on the Mallanor (Maranoa). This last I followed for a consideral distance, crossing afterwards to the heads'"of Hamburgh Angellella, to the Arganthalla, to Yower, to the Warrego, to the Rive, and to the Langlow. At this point the blacks refused to let me pass furth r, and 1 gave it up for a while. In 1856, I took another route, commencing at the Lower Macquarie, on to the Barwon; from there crossing Bree and Cnlgo on the Warrego and Cuttleborough, from there to the Paroo, running wsst on to the Yow Yow, bearing a little north of west until I came to Cooper’s Creek. I then crossed the oreek, and travelling north-west, crossed small plains covered with a deal of scrub. I did not meet any blacks till I struck north, and running parallel with Coopsr’s Creek, when I found them pretty numerous. I then travelled north-east, crossing Cooper’s Creek. After that I went east, striking) Expedition* Range, running southeast of Mount Hutton, Upper Dawson River, and so home. In 1867, I went back to the Oulgo and worked amongst the fsquatters, till 1860. I then came home, but in the course of that same year started for the Comet River, where I stayed with Mr Wills till 1862. Then I started for the west coast, crossing all the rivers running north. Passing them, I came to small dry plains, and with difficulty succeeded in reaching the falls ; where as I got plenty of water, I stayed with the blacks until I happened to find a man who had been amongst them some t',rq£. While with him I was shown the undervalued nmrks, the flrpt of which was on one tree ; |he second p,n another one about 100 miles distant 1C LC Nov 1847 Aug 1848 IjIG ROCK + + These are fac-similies as well as my memory can trace them qow. Underneath the first tree W a s a bottle containing letters ;in the rock, or rather in a hollow of the rock close to the tree, were papers rolled up in a saddlebag, some of which were written documents, and some appeared to be maps or plans. I placed the letters which I found under the first tree along with the others under the second tree. After doing this, I promised the white man who was with me, that I would either bring them to Sydney myself or let the government authorities know where they W'ere. I must not omit to mention that I found a quadrant, telescope, and thermometer with the articles concealed in the rock under the tress. As the above is only a rough sketch, I am ready to answer any questions which you may deem necessary for throwing further light on the matter. 1 would have made all the above facts known before, but 1 though that the authorities might fancy that 1 was only endeavouring to obtain my liberty by some fabrication of my own.”