Hi Listers, With the drought conditions uppermost in our minds it was with interest I unearthered this tale I had filed away. I am sure it will be of interest to those with connections to the north/west of N.S.W. it is amazing the extremes of climate to which those pioneers suffered. I have highlighted names of interest. regards, Lins. "An Account of a Relief Trip" On the 30th April,1890, Senior Constable Meehan, Constable Grey, Charles Gardiner (Pelot) and six men left Bourke in the Steamer "Cato", with one large whaleboat and two smaller boats, containing one ton of flour, five cwt of sugar, ten boxes of tea, one case of wine, one case of whiskey, one case of brandy and other provisions. Before describing the journey, I must say that during the trip from Bourke to the Junction of the Culgoa, Captain Nash, of the S.S.Cato did everything possible to make the relief party comfortable and gave us all the information that he could concerning the Culgoa River, as he took his steamer up that river as far as Luscombe's Hotel in the flood of 1886. The Captain also provided us with a bogey with which to boil our billy when hove too of a night. After wishing the crew of the Cato "Good bye", we started on our journey at 3p.m. on the 1st May, 1890, and after pulling about 15 miles we tied the boats to a tree and camped in them; our party suffered very seriously during the night from mosquitoes and spider bites. At daylight we again started on our mission of charity and at 11 a.m. came to Riley's hut on Warreena Station. The hut was deserted, there being over three feet of water in it. After a short camp we again put to sea and arrived at Luscombe's Culgoa Hotel at 1 p.m. We found Mr. and Mrs. Luscombe, three children, Miss Kate Nolen and three men. Mr. Luscombe lost all his stock with the exception of 1 calf, 1 pig, and six goats. They had lived on a pontoon for six weeks. They had made a kind of Noah's Ark and put the pig, calf and goats in it. The animals survived but lost all the hair of their legs from standing in the water. The Host and Hostess were very pleased to see us and made us as comfortable as possible by giving us a good dinner and a weedrop of Jimmy Hennessy; they did not require anything so we again set sail, and arrived at the Corella Station woolshed. After stopping for a while and finding everything alright we resumed our voyage taking the south side of the Culgoa. We met with some very thick scrub, only for the skill of Senior Constable Meehan we would have been "up a tree". After going about 14 miles darkness came on, and we again hove too, tying the boat to a tree. That night we were again troubled with mosquitoe! s, spiders and a snake. The snake slithered into the boat from the tree and was duly dispatched with an oar. The snake was relieved of his skin which was taken back to Bourke as a trophy of the Culgoa Relief Party of 1890. At daylight we again started and arrived at Grant's place near the mouth of the Birree River where it flows into the Culgoa. We found Mr. and Mrs. Grant, their son 9 years old, and an old man of seventy in an very unenviable position. They had stage rigged up between the branches of two big gum trees, and had lived there from about the 1st April until the 3rd May. There were also on the stage, 4 goats, and two dogs. Mr. Grant managed to save twelve goats out of seventy but as they only had bushes from the trees the rest had died. Mr. Grant was quite out of rations and the old man quite out of tobacco. Mr. Meehan supplied the old man with tobacco and the Grants with what provisions they needed. After a prayer for the success of the party by Mr. and Mrs. Grant, the boats moved up the Biree River and arrived at Gardiner' Horse and Jockey Inn. We found the hotel deserted. We traveled up the Biree River for several miles and camped on an island. Mr. and Mrs.Shaw were without tea, sugar and flour. At daylight next day our party again started up the Culgoa River and arrived at Lurst's Homestead lease. Mr. Lurst was flooded out but managed to save his stock. We supplied him with what he needed and resumed our trip arriving at Mr. Johnston's Homestead not long after. Mr. Johnston, his wife and seven children were without rations. We camped at Johnston's that night and next day went over to Boneda where we found a man named Riley and a widow named Mrs. McPherson, both homestead lessees. They were both flooded out and not seen anyone for six weeks, we supplied the wants and again started out reaching Little's at dark. Mr. Little had a nice little weatherboard house, high on the sandhill, he did not loose any stock but was short of rations, we camped there that night and next day repaired the whaleboat. Two men employed by Mr. Willis were camped on Little's sandhill with 3,000 sheep. They lost about 1,000 and were completely out of rations. We supplied them and started for "Home Sweet Home", arriving at Milroy Woolshed at dark. We camped there and left at daylight next morning. We got into the Darling at 11 o'clock and reached Wormall's Llandillo Island and camped there that night reaching North Bourke at dark the next day. All the relatives and friends of the people on the Cugoa were there to meet us and expressed joy at knowing all were well. Next morning at 10 a.m. we were back in Bourke once more and I trust it will be a long time before there will be any occasion for the Government to send another such expedition. All hands having done all in their power to help on this expedition.