red by the soldiers, but the thickness of the
bushes prevented our seeing with what effect. A shower of spears, stones,
kylies and dowaks followed, and although we moved to a more open spot,
the natives were only kept off by firing at any that exposed themselves.
At this moment a spear struck the Governor in the leg, just above the
knee, with such force as to cause it to protrude two feet on the other
side, which was so far fortunate as to enable me to break off the barb
and withdraw the shaft. The Governor, notwithstanding his wound,
continued to direct the party, and although the natives made many
attempts to approach close enough to reach us with their spears, we were
able by keeping on the most open ground and checking them by an
occasional shot, to avoid their attacks when crossing the gullies."

The natives followed them for seven miles, but finally desisted, and the
whites reached the beach and boarded the Champion without further mishap.

In 1856 Gregory made his most celebrated journey in the north of central
Australia. An account of this journey might have been included in Part 2,
but as the name of Gregory is so intimately connected with Western
Australia, this section is perhaps the most appropriate place in which to
recount its incidents. [But its lengthy place in which to recount its
incidents (sic)]. But its numerous details demand another chapter.

CHAPTER 18. A.C. AND F.T. GREGORY.

18.1. A.C. GREGORY ON STURT'S CREEK AND THE BARCOO.

The Imperial Government having long considered the feasibility of further
exploration of the interior of Australia voted 5000 pounds for the
purpose, and offered the command of the expedition to A.C. Gregory. As
the inexplicable disappearance of Leichhardt was then exciting much
interest in Australia, search for the lost expedition was to form one of
its chief duties.

On the 12th of August, 1855, Gregory's party left Moreton Bay in the
barque Monarch, attended by the schooner Tom Tough. There were eighteen
men in all. H.C. Gregory was second in command, Ferdinand von Mueller was
botanist, J.S. Wilson geologist, J.R. Elsey surgeon and naturalist, and
J. Baines artist and storekeeper. They had on board fifty horses, two
hundred sheep, and provisions and stores calculated to last them eighteen
months on full rations.

They did not reach Point Pearce, at the mouth of the Victoria River,
until the 24th of September. There they separated, the schooner taking
the st