This is the true story of fifteen-year-old John Murphy, who joined Leichardt s ill-conceived Expedition of Discovery in northern Australia in 1844 and was extremely fortunate to have survived this gruelling journey. Each of Murphy s diary entries is prefaced with an excerpt from Leichardt s journal.Young Murphy was befriended by the naturalist/illustrator of the expedition and learned the art, and the text is accompanied by beautifully drawn illustrations of plants, animals and scenes encountered on the expedition. Murphy went on to become a wildlife illustrator of note himself.