, being only twenty-two years old, and his brother Alexander but
twenty. Their father had come from Applegarth, in Dumfriesshire; they had
both been born near Sydney, and had been educated by private tutors and
at the Sydney Grammar School.

They took with them A.J. Richardson, a surveyor sent by the Government,
Scrutton, Binney, Cowderoy, and four natives. The stock consisted of
forty-two horses and two hundred and fifty head of cattle. The cheerful
acceptance of this hazardous enterprise by these youths was a fine
indication of adventurous spirit, and reflects great credit on their
courage and the courage of the native-born. The fate of the last explorer
who dared to face the perils of the Peninsula would have deterred any but
the boldest from taking up his task.

Before the final start from Carpentaria Downs, then the furthest station
to the north, supposed to be situated on Leichhardt's Lynd River, Alec
Jardine made a trip ahead in order to secure knowledge of an available
road for the cattle, and save delay in the earlier stages of the main
journey. On this preliminary observational excursion, he followed the
presumed Lynd down for nearly 180 miles, until he was convinced that
neither in appearance, direction, nor position did it correspond with the
river described by Leichhardt. On the subsequent journey with the cattle,
this conviction was found to be in accordance with fact, for the stream
was then proved to be a tributary of the Gilbert, now known as the
Einnesleigh.

On the 11th of October the final start was made, and the party commenced
a journey seldom equalled in Australia for peril and adventure. The head
of the Einnesleigh was amongst rough ranges, and on the 22nd of the month
they halted the cattle while they conducted another search for the
invisible Lynd. They found other good-sized creeks, but no Lynd, nor did
they ever see it. They afterwards found that, owing to an error in the
map they had with them, the Lynd was placed 30 miles out of position. A
misfortune happened at the outset of their expedition. In the morning a
large number of horses were missing. Leaving some of the party to stay
behind and look for them, the two brothers and the remainder went on with
the cattle. On the second day they arrived at a large creek, without
having been overtaken by the party with the missing horses and the
pack-horses. After an anxious day spent in waiting, Alec Jardine started
back to find out the cause of