Pioneering Days: Thrilling Incidents

Burketown was now an established township--of sort--very tough and unhealthy. Landsborough was acting as Government Resident, when we reached there, Starkey as Land Commissioner, and George Phillip, Governor Surveyor. Two public houses were quickly erected, as also two stores. Many criminals from the south made their abode there to get away from the police, and so to speak, made it a city of refuge. But these characters did not leave their vice behind them, and so helped to make the little township a place only fit for demons. Some short time after the "Jacmel Packet" arrived from Batavia, carrying with her a terrible fatal fever, known as "Yellow Jack" which nearly decimated the small population, and gave Burketown a very bad name. Of course, there was no doctor, no medicine, and no proper food, and the poisonous grog dispensed helped the heavy mortality. Burketown is situated on the left bank of the Albert, a tidal river, very crooked, narrow, and of not much account for safe navigation. The entrance from the sea is still worse, owing to its shallowness. When the tide is out (only one tide in 24 hours), one can walk over the banks of sand for some distance seawards. The absence of deep water along the coast over the unenviable rivers are the great drawbacks to navigation all along the Carpentaria Gulf shores.

Having secured a small quantity of supplies required we hastened back on our return trip, and the starved Rocklanders were very pleased to see us.