August 1862
McKinlay's Journal of Exploration into the interior of Australia (Burke Relief Expedition) |
Friday, 1 August 1862. Saturday, 2 August 1862. |
The Capricornian, (Rockhampton), Saturday 13 February 1926: 14.
McKinlay's Party reached Harvey and Somers's station on the Bowen River. From there they travelled to Selheim and Toussaint's Strathmore station and reached Port Denison in a few days. At Strathmore they met Brahe, who had been one of Burke and Wills' party.
On 17 August 1862, the party of eight with 14 other passengers, including F. J. Byerley. embarked on the schooner Ben Bolt, Captain Tom M'Ewan for Rockhampton. They put into L Island for water, and to Broadsound for rations and after a tedious trip, landed at Rockhampton and were well received at Gardiner's hotel, the Royal Fitzroy.
They had been well entertained at Bowen; the Squatters sat down to dinner with long knives and revolvers in their belts. All the pioneers carried arms.
After being entertained in Rockhampton they embarked on the S.S. Balcuntha, Captain Tronton, and left for the south. The ship piled up on the Flats, and Captain Trouton and the party returned to Rockhampton in the ship's boats. They attended the races and the dinner and the ball that followed.
Bell and Hodgkinson remained in Rockhampton. The rest of the explorers, M'Kinlay, Middleton, Kirby, Wylde, Pool, and John Davis, returned to Adelaide.