Beschreibung:

Australia.- Carron (William) Narrative of an Expedition, Undertaken Under the Direction of the Late Mr. Assistant Surveyor E.B. Kennedy, for the Exploration of the Country Lying Between Rockingham Bay and Cape York, first edition, Robert Gale's copy (captain's steward on board HMS Rattlesnake commanded by Captain Owen Stanley) with his extensive ink and pencil annotations and 7 pencil sketches (one a full-page portrait of Kennedy, others including the memorial wooden board erected by Captain Stanley in memory of Charles Niblet and Thomas Wall) , folding lithographed map, hand-coloured in outline, some ff. working loose, original cloth-backed wrappers, "Robert Gale" lettered direct on upper cover in faint pencil, slightly soiled, a few small tears, housed in modern cloth box, [Ferguson 5010; Wantrup 144a], 8vo, Sydney, by Kemp and Fairfax, 1849. ⁂ Includes an eye witness account by Robert Gale of the burial of the remains of two members of the Kennedy expedition, "During our visit to Cape York in Oct, 1849 Capt, Stanley caused a plain wood monument to be erected there having previously planted several cocoa nuts round the grave which we brought from New Guinea on purpose... . It is formed of two slabs of gum wood cut down for the purpose & bolted together. The engraving was executed very neatly by one of our Marines." - Robert Gale. The expedition undertaken by Edmund Kennedy (1818-1848), has long since entered the annals of Australian exploration. The party consisted of thirteen members, including an Aborigine known as Jackey Jackey. They travelled from Rockingham Bay through difficult terrain of swamps and mountains which hindered their progress. Beset by sickness and growing short of supplies, Kennedy left eight men behind at Weymouth Bay and pushed on to their rendezvous with their supply ship. On the journey one man accidentally shot himself and two men were left to look after him. Kennedy, now with just Jackey Jackey left, pushed on but they were attacked by hostile Aborigines and Kennedy was killed on 13 December 1848. Jackey Jackey alone made his way to Albany Bay and the supply ship Ariel. Only two other members of the expedition, including William Carron, the author of this book, survived to return to Sydney. Robert Gale served as captain's steward on board HMS Rattlesnake, commanded by Captain Owen Stanley (1811-50). On board were the scientists and naturalists Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), and John MacGillivray (1821-1867). In June 1848 Stanley offered protection and assistance to Edmund Kennedy's expedition to the Cape York Peninsula.