must have crossed the Dioiuitains. But the proof fails. ^Vilson could converse with the natives, and native tribes coniniiuiicated one with another, and thus, by the presence of a native of a distant tribe, Wilson might easily learn the l>road fact that from the western slope of the mountains rivers tlowed to the interior. Wilson*s Btatement that he had seen a mountain or cliff of Bait deprives the whole of his tale of credit.* An account of Wilson's journey (in the spurious history ascribed to Barrington) stated that Governor Hunter, to deter the Irish from their attempts to walk to China, ordered four strong Irishmen to be selected and sent ta explore *' the very worst and most dangerous jmrts of the country ;*' that three of them succumbed *' at the foot of the first momi tains ;" that one went on with Wilson and the other guides ; that the ** face of a hill which appeared white proved to be a large cliff of salt, a sample of which they brought away ;'" that the Governor sent Hacking out to test the truth about the satt-liill, and that on liia return Ilacking " brought some samples of various veins of salt in different places of 10 to 12 feet deep/* The concoctBr of this tale was so ill able to make it co- lierent that a few pages later in the narrative we find that —
- 'HaL'kiiig, wlieii sent to the salt-iiill last month, was acconipanied by
Wilson and anotlier man, who were iiirt>i.'ted to penetrate as far into the country as the provisions thej^ were able to eiirry would permit. They returned after an aliseuce of three weeka, ami said they had )>een 140 miles W, by S. from Prospect Hill. In their journey they , , . found more Balt-hilk/' ^ It is possible that the atory of the convict's journey grew or was diBtorted out of an expedient reaorted to by Hnnter to chock deaertious. He heard that about sixty of the transported "Irish defenders^* who
- threatened resiBtauce to all orders " were about to march to Chinn* He
planted a party of armed eonBtables'* on whose vigilance he eouid depend, and ** wlio secured a y;ang of about twenty." . . , "I spoke to them, but observing a considerable degree of obstinacy and ignorance about tliern, I conceived there could be no better argument to convince them of their niia conduct than a severe corporal [>unlahment, which was inflicted, and they have aince l>een strictly looked after at their work. Some of these fellows had been provided with a figure of a compass dra%Ti upon paper, which, with wiitten instructjona, was to have assisted them as their guide.'* He aelected lour of the strongest, gave them provisions, and flt'spatched them with companions, so that they might prove their prowess in exploring. '* The whole of the men returned with the soldiers, most completely sick of their journey."^ — Despatch, 1708,
