THE WHITE MAN REPORTED TO BE AT COOPER'S CREEK.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1073, 5 January 1872, Page 2

THE WHITE MAN REPORTED TO BE AT COOPER'S CREEK.

Under instructions- from- the • Colonial Secretary, Sub-Inspector Gilmour, of the Native Mounted Police, has made a second expedition from Bullo to the west of Cooper's Creqkj in searph of the white man said to be in that . locality. The following is his report .— '. " Bullo Barracks, November 15, , 3 871. — A start was made from these barracks pu ; the 11th" of September last, and I then proceeded on my old tracks to: Wantattaj where I. had' previously found the human remains, and where the blacks said that a lot of white men had been killed a long time since. On. the Yth October, last we arrived at Wantafta. A- thorough search was made all rpund the waterhole, to see if there were kny traces of white men haviug been there, but .nothing was found. About the foot pf ; the sand-hill we found a few more pieces of human skull, one piece larger than any that was found on my first trip. On the 19th October we came upon & very large camp of blacks, and in this camp we found two pieces of an old canvas tent, portions of several pairs, of trousers (moleskin^ tweed, and duck), also apiece of an old Scotch twill shirt, so filthy and r dirty that it was with some difficulty we ascertained what it was. We also foiind a piece of an old gaiter. In tHe same camp r we found an old-fashioned iron tomahawk, with the eye broken, and fixed in the same manner -"as the wild blacks fix their stone ; tomahawks. Several pieces of old 3 " blankets were also foiind, one piece that had been white, one. .piece gray, and another piece blue. "We also saw, following some of the black gins,* two European dogs, one red, and the other red and white, and were either of cattle or sheep breed.' On the 20th of October-we came -upon another camp of blacks, and in it we found another piece of canvas tent, evidently a portion of the same as that found by us the day previously. In this camp we also found^a piece of an old. sock. Taking a line due east to Cooper's Creek,. from where all the a&ovetneritioned articles were found by us, the distance is as nearly as possible two hundred and seventy miles. The blacks at Kullpo, where we ; found tHe clothing, &c, Had evidently seen br'h§ard 6i white

people before, as several used the words yinie-vinie, the blacks' name for a white man, nor did any of them seem much surprised when they saw us. The of tho blacks after leaving thV/Wilson ' River changes about every sev9n% or eighty miles. During the time that we were, put we through no- less- >thau five 'different tribes, and all talking different' 'languages ; on Ithis account we found it very difficult to get any information/ from 'them after leaving- Wantatta. Close to Kulloo, . where we found the clothing, &c: : ,ion the sandhills, the blacks gather the stalks of a smalt shrub— native. name,. pituri. i This the, blacks use as a'stimuleiit, and it has the same effect upon them as spirituous liquors upon Europeans. The pituri is principally used by the old men. The Cooper's Creek blacks still: say that" a long time a'go 'the ' blacks but west killed a lot of white ben. I am quite satisfied in my own mind- that there is no. white man now alive among the blacks anywhere near where we have been, as we could not but have heard of or seen him. On my return journey I # took a due east course, and struck Cooper's* Creek about ten or twelve lnilejs^ below the junction of the Thompson River. The whole of the country we travelled over from the time we left the Wilson till; we struck Cooper's Creek on onr return journey may be described as follows :— Siind hill, flooded country, and^tbny plains and ridges. The water in many places is very fine and; permanetit/^but, taken as a whole, the country is most wretched, and but a very small portion of ' it is suitable for pastoral purposes. Signed,' J&MES I M: GILMOTJR; ' ' '*■ ■■:'»-■ P:S.— Since" writing 'tfie'enclosed report I gave one of. the trooper's gins a small bag containing pituri— and found by me at Kulloo, where I found the European clothing— to wash. The gin Had just commenced to.' wash the bag when she called my attention' to it, and said 'Here is .white fellow's hair!' The hairT is worked into the bag, and is evidently ;the hair of a European. I showed .thef hair to several of the troopers, and they "all agree that the hair is that; of a white person.— J. G." . . .■■■■■ v ••: