FROM THE PALMER OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4278, 5 December 1874, Page 3

FROM THE PALMER OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE.

A man, who gives his name as D. Hepburn, and who is described as “footsore and halfstarved/* gives the Geelong Advertiser the following narrative of a visit to the Palmer goldfield, the disasters which befel him, and his return journey overland to Melbourne —the first journey between those two places so performed that we remember to have seen recorded ; We left Brisbane about the middle of April, 1874, with five good horses and a fair supply of cash, and arrived at the Endeavour, by steamer, -without anything worth mentioning occurring. Got very discouraging news from those who had just returned from the Palmer river, but determined to try our luck," and so got three months’ supply of rations, and started for the Palmer river. -The physical aspect of the country has been so often described by others that I will only say we found it rugged, barren, and most difficult to get over, the horses suffering very much in their feet and from want of feed, the grass and other herbage being very rank and not agreeing with them. We had hard work in crossing the rivers and the mountain ranges, but ultimately arrived at the diggings, men and horses very much worn out. We pitched our tent on the left branch of the Palmer, and here met many parties at work, but in great want of food. All were getting gold more or less, say from loz. to sozs. or 6ozs. per day per man. Some were getting much more than this, and we determined to go to work at once. The following day we went out prospecting, and got about loz,, but our returns improved on the next and following days, until we used to get from 2ozs. to sozs. and 6ozs. per day between us. Now, however, the deadly heat began, to tell upon us ; our supply of rations getting small, as we could not but give some to those who were in a starving condition, and so many came across us daily that we had every prospect of being without. ourselves if a supply did not soon arrive. However, we continued to struggle on, each -day becoming more unable to work or prospect, and. the natives giving us much trouble lo protect, ourselves and the horses. We had one of •ch horses speared, but not badly, and we thought he would get over it, but the horses, like ourselves, were not what they were when landed at the Endeavour, and soon one by one they dropped down and died. In the meantime a small supply of flour arrived, for which we paid 12s. per pannikin; a man swimming across brought it over on his head from the other side of the river—paying 9s. per pannikin —and charging ns 3s. for doing so. But no meat had as yet arrived, and we had nothing but flour; tea and sugar we had nope, so that we soon became unable to go about. Many were dying near us; many in the last stage of exhaustion, unable to help themselves, were lying about in the bush, or in their tents, waiting for death, and praying for it to end their misery; and many were leaving daily for Cooktown. Four out of our five horses were now dead, and only the one that had been speared was living. My mate was becoming disheartened, and cross in temper from starvation. Nothing went well, and it appeared that if we did not get relief soon, we would both perish. At this time I was laid up with fever and ague, and not able to go about. My mate endeavored to find food in the bush, but failed, there being notbing/iu the way of game of any kind, and we seldom saw any birds. The rainy season was coming on, the river was muddy, and fish would not bite. Many days were passed in this state, and we were becoming very low indeed, when the remaining ahorse died. My mate on the following day found him in the bush; and proposed to eat him. This, however, I could not do, and strongly advised him not to touch it, as it would kill him. I, had seen some, and heard of others, who had died through eating putrid horseflesh. Wo saw that night through, and the following morning he went to where the horse was lying in the bush, ate some of it, and came hack and told me he had done so, but I was in too low a condition to pay much attention to what he told me, and only became aware of the terrible fact by his mad ravings and death after six hours’ suffering. No language can describe my feelings when I found him gone, and myself alone in the bush, unable to get from the smell of his decomposing body. The rainy season was now bn, and all who were on the diggings would have to remain there and perish, or live if they could, as no relief could be expected until after it was over. I was for some days after his death quite unconscious of existence, and have no remembrance of seeing anyone until I became aware that a stranger was trying to pour some flour and water down my throat, when I revived, and was enabled.to speak to him and tell him and his mate what had occurred to my chum, and what I had suffered myself. The two men, George Kitchin and Henry Ward, stayed with me, and shared their small supply of flour, and to them am I indebted for life. From day to day I gained a little strength, so as to be able to walk about, when the two men left me, and I was again alone without food. I continued to struggle on from week to week, sometimes getting a little flour when a supply came, and sometimes getting a little from my fellow-diggers, and so the rainy season passed ; and X made up my mind to get away from the Palmer, by what I considered to be the host route—viz., to strike right through the continent, as I had not sufficient means left to pay my expenses from the port at Cooktown to Melbourne. My mind once made up, I endeavored to procure all the flour I could, cither from packers or diggers who would give me a little for love or money, having still a few pounds ; and with my revolver, compass, small stock of flour, and blankets, I took to the desert en route for Victoria. I took my course due south, and used every precaution to escape the observation of the blacks by not lighting any fire by night, and keeping a sharp look-out in the vicinity of any creek, river, or scrub where they usually resorted for the purposes of rest or hunting. By using these means I was fortunate in not being seen by them. Day by day I struggled on my weary journey, until my stock of flour was exhausted, and I was left to find food to support life by the only‘means left, viz.—my revolver. I sometimes shot a bird, sometimes an iguana, or found "a few emu eggs in the scrub. For days I would have to crawl along without food or water, and when the pangs of

thirst were severe I moistened my mouth with the roots of grass or spinifex, or anythin" else I could get. I now became very weak indeed; and suffered more than I have any language to describe. I was passing through a most sterile country. Xfor days it would be stony, and again nothing but sand, when my feet would sink in it up to the ankle ; so that the exertion I had to use to get over the ground made mo, I believe, insane, as many times X did not know what I was doing, my body and mind were in so prostrate a condition. But at last I arrived where I saw signs of the presence of whites, and tracks of sheep, cattle, and horses, and know from these that there was a station somewhere about in that part of the country. This gave me fresh courage, with the hope of getting relief, and in two days I was fortunate enough to find the station and get a supply of food and a rest. They charged a very high price—flour 2s. per lb., sugar 2s. ditto, tobacco 16s. ditto, tea 6s. ditto, and meat Is. ditto ; but I bought what X thought I could carry, and did not haggle about the cost. I got information as to what other stations were on my route, and resumed my journey with a very light heart, for I was certain that I would now meet a station every hundred miles or so. I now passed through a belt of fine open timbered country, and hoped I would not suffer as much from the want of food as I had done; but I had some bad rivers to cross, which I knew were infested with alligators, and I had to use every precaution in finding a crossing. I occasionally met_ in with blacks, and did not avoid them, knowing they would not molest me, but sometimes got fish, opposum, &c., from them, and gave them tobacco in return. And thus, by getting a little food now and again, my strength returned to me. so far as to enable me to get on at the rate of twenty miles per day, and I soon pulled up the country in a line with Rockhampton, and came to stations more frequently, where I was enabled to get a supply of rations. The country now became very scrubby, the heat was very oppressive, and I suffered a groat deal from want, of water, ns the heat was so great. My clothes were nearly all worn out, and all my money gone, so at the first station I arrived at I sold my revolver, and by this means I was enabled to make the Darling Kiver, which I crossed about Fort Bourke, and steered my course right for the Lachlan. Here again I suffered much from the want of food and water, but at last got relief at a station on the Lachlan River ; thence to the Murrumbidgee, suffering much from wet weather and wind ; indeed, I now got along very badly, as my blankets were worn out, and I had no covering at night, seldom any wood to make a fire, and 1 nearly perished in consequence of my blood being too thin to endure the cold. Still I struggled on, and at last gained the Murray, and once more reached Victoria, with a grateful heart to Providence for bringing me safe through such a journey. From the Murray to Geelong I had to put up with much hunger and fatigue, in the midst of plenty, and X now trust to meet with better fortune than I have had of late.