Field notebook

Transcription - Page 99

[Thursday - crossed out] Friday morning. While I was sitting
with Lamby & Jimmy Fidgett talking about
the arrangement of 1st scene we heard
a distant hail from over the river and
then a gunshot. The expected contingent
had arrived and we all heard their
shouts. Four men soon stood [??]
King Charley, Big Joe, McKay & _______
But the sundown was very bright & the
shores too rough – our canoe
both small + [?useless?]. After
mending it, it was decided not
practicable to cross the river and the men started
out to seek for another - one which
Old Lamby an expert canoeist
arrived with some tea & sugar
and part of a damper. As
the black with their usual
improvidence had no more

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looked than if they had eaten
at breakfast I gave the
arrivals most of the damper
which I had baked for
myself. Charley Blair and I
went out but only found a possum
& no canoe. The other men
came back and at 2 o’clock
nothing had been done but
[??] one of the boys they brought
and two swags. The men over
the straights had by this time
procured a small canoe
and proceeded to render it
as serviceable as possible.
By __ o’clock all were
over, i.e. King Charley, Joe
and two boys- the others having
remained awaiting at
Bairnsdale.