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diff --git a/old/strsp10.txt b/old/strsp10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9bbcc75 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/strsp10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3225 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Australian Search Party, by Charles Henry Eden + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before distributing this or any other +Project Gutenberg file. + +We encourage you to keep this file, exactly as it is, on your +own disk, thereby keeping an electronic path open for future +readers. Please do not remove this. + +This header should be the first thing seen when anyone starts to +view the etext. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + + +This Project Gutenberg Etext was prepared by: +Amy E Zelmer <a.zelmer@cqu.edu.au> +Sue Asscher <asschers@dingoblue.net.au> + + + + +Project Gutenberg Etext of Australian Search Party by C.H. Eden + +This Project Gutenberg Etext was prepared by: +Amy E Zelmer <a.zelmer@cqu.edu.au> +Sue Asscher <asschers@dingoblue.net.au> + + + + +------------------------------------ + + +AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY + +BY + +CHARLES HENRY EDEN + +FROM + +ILLUSTRATED TRAVELS: + +A RECORD OF + +DISCOVERY, GEOGRAPHY, AND ADVENTURE. + +EDITED BY + +H.W. BATES, + +ASSISTANT-SECRETARY OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. + + + + +AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY -- I. + +BY CHARLES H. EDEN. + + +IN a former narrative, published in the preceding volume of the ILLUSTRATED +TRAVELS, I gave an account of a terrible cyclone which visited the +north-eastern coast of Queensland in the autumn of 1866, nearly destroying +the small settlements of Cardwell and Townsville, and doing an infinity of +damage by uprooting heavy timber, blocking up the bush roads, etc. Amongst +other calamities attendant on this visitation was the loss of a small +coasting schooner, named the 'Eva', bound from Cleveland to Rockingham Bay, +with cargo and passengers. Only those who have visited Australia can +picture to themselves the full horror of a captivity amongst the degraded +blacks with whom this unexplored district abounds; and a report of white +men having been seen amongst the wild tribes in the neighbourhood of the +Herbert River induced the inhabitants of Cardwell to institute a search +party to rescue the crew of the unhappy schooner, should they still be +alive; or to gain some certain clue to their fate, should they have +perished. + +In my former narrative I described our exploration of the Herbert River, +lying at the south end of Rockingham Channel, with its fruitless issue; and +I now take up the thread of my story from that point, thinking it can +hardly fail to be of interest to the reader, not only as regards the wild +nature of the country traversed, but also as showing the anxiety manifested +by the inhabitants of these remote districts to clear up the fate of their +unhappy brethren. I may also here mention, for the information of such of +my readers as may not have read the preceding portions of the narrative, +that Cardwell is the name of a small township situated on the shores of +Rockingham Bay; and that Townsville is a settlement some hundred miles +further south, known also as Cleveland Bay. + + +HOW WE EXPLORED GOULD AND GARDEN ISLANDS. + +We were all much pleased at a piece of intelligence brought up by the +'Daylight', to the effect that a party of volunteers had been assembled at +Cleveland Bay, and intended coming up in a small steamer to the south end +of Hinchinbrook, to assist in the search for the missing crew. As it would +be of the utmost importance that both parties should co-operate, I sent my +boat down to the mouth of the channel, with a note to the leader of the +expedition announcing our intention of landing on the north end of the +island and working towards the centre; and requesting them to scour their +end, and then push northward, when we should most probably meet in the +middle of the island. The boat had orders to wait at the bar until the +arrival of the steamer, and then to return with all speed. In the +meanwhile, the 'Daylight' was discharging her cargo, and we were making +preparations for what we well knew would prove a most arduous undertaking; +the sequel will show that we did not overrate the difficulties before us. + +At the risk of being tedious, I must explain to the reader some of the +peculiarities of Hinchinbrook Island. Its length is a little short of +forty miles, and its shape a rude triangle, the apex of which is at the +south, and the north side forming the southern portion of Rockingham Bay. +Now this north side is by no means straight, but is curved out into two or +three bays of considerable extent, and in one of them stand two islands +named Gould and Garden Islands. The latter of these was our favourite +resort for picnics, for the dense foliage afforded good shade, and, when +the tide was low, we were enabled to gather most delicious oysters from +some detached rocks. Gould Island is considerably larger; but, rising in a +pyramid from the sea, and being covered with loose boulders, it was most +tedious climbing. From the township we could, with our glasses, see canoes +constantly passing and repassing between these two islands; and as the +'Daylight' had a particularly heavy cargo this trip, and would not be clear +for the next two days, we made up our minds to search the islands, and +drive the blacks on to Hinchinbrook, so that one of our parties must +stumble across them when we swept it. This may seem to the reader +unnecessary trouble, but most of our party were conversant with the habits +of the blacks and their limited method of reasoning; and we judged it +probable that the Herbert River gins would have at once acquainted the +Hinchinbrook blacks with our unceremonious visit, and warned them that we +should probably soon look them up also. Now on the receipt of this +unwelcome intelligence, the first thing that would strike the blacks would +be the facilities for concealment afforded by Gould or Garden Islands, more +particularly had they any captives; and they would say to themselves that +we should certainly overlook these two out-of-the-way little spots; and +when we were busy on Hinchinbrook, they could easily paddle themselves and +their prisoners to some of the more distant chain of islands, where they +could lie by until all fear of pursuit was past. Such was the opinion both +of the troopers and of the experienced bushmen; and as we were fully +resolved to leave them no loophole for escape, we jumped into our boat and +pulled gently over to Garden Island. + +It was about seven o'clock in the morning when we started, six strong -- +four whites, and Cato, and Ferdinand -- well armed, and with a good supply +of provisions. The sun was already very hot, and the water smooth as +glass, save where the prow of the boat broke the still surface into a tiny +ripple, which continued plainly visible half a mile astern. I find it +difficult to bring before the reader the thousand curious objects that met +us on our way. The sullen crocodile basking in the sun, sank noiselessly; +a splash would be heard, and a four feet albicore would fling himself madly +into the air, striving vainly to elude the ominous black triangle that cut +the water like a knife close in his rear. Small chance for the poor +fugitive, with the ravenous shark following silent and inexorable. We lay +on our oars and watched the result. The hunted fish doubles, springs +aloft, and dives down, but all in vain; the black fin is not to be thrown +off, double as he may. Anon the springs become more feeble, the pursuer's +tail partly appears as he pushes forward with redoubled vigour, a faint +splash is heard, the waters curl into an eddy, and the monster sinks +noiselessly to enjoy his breakfast in the cooler depths beneath. And now +we come to a sand bank running out some miles or so into the bay, and on +which the water is less than three fathoms. Here the surface is broken by +huge black objects, coming clumsily to the top, shooting out a jet of +spray, and again disappearing. We let the boat glide gently along until +she rests motionless above the bank, and stooping over the side with our +faces close to the water, and sheltered by our hands, we can peer down into +the placid depths, and see the huge animals grazing on the submarine +vegetation with which their favourite feeding-place is thickly overgrown. +But what animal is he talking about? the reader will ask. It is the dugong +('Halicore Australis'), or sea-cow, from whence is extracted an oil equal +to the cod-liver as regards its medicinal qualities, and far superior to it +in one great essential, for instead of a nauseous disagreeable flavour, it +tastes quite pleasantly. It frequents the whole of the north-eastern coast +of Australia, and when the qualities of the oil first became known, it was +eagerly sought after by invalids who could not overcome their repugnance to +the cod-liver nastiness. The fishermen, however, spoilt their own market, +for greed induced them to adulterate the new medicine with shark oil, and +all kinds of other abominations, so that the faculty were never quite +certain what they were pouring down the throats of their unhappy patients. +Thus the oil lost its good name, though I am convinced from personal +observation that fresh, pure dugong is quite equal, if not superior, in +nourishing qualities to cod-liver oil, and do not doubt that a time will +come when it will enter largely into the Pharmacopoeia. The animal itself +is so peculiar, that a brief description of it may not be here amiss. Its +favourite haunts are bays into which streams empty themselves, and where +the water is from two to five fathoms in depth, feeding on the 'Algae' of +the submerged banks, for which purpose the upper lip is very large, thick, +and as it turns down suddenly at right angles with the head, it much +resembles an elephant's trunk shorn off at the mouth. Its length averages +from eight to fourteen feet; there is no dorsal fin, and the tail is +horizontal; colour blue, and white beneath. Its means of propulsion are +two paddles, with which it also crawls along the bottom, and beneath which +are situated the udders, with teats exactly like a cow's. Its flesh is far +from bad, resembling lean beef in appearance, though hardly so good to the +taste, and the skin can be manufactured into gelatine. I have often +wondered that this most useful animal was not oftener captured. A fishing +establishment with a good boat, a trained crew, and proper appliances for +extracting the oil, could not fail to return a large profit to the +proprietors, and every now and then they could kill a whale, one or more of +which could be frequently seen disporting themselves in the waters of the +bay. + +[Illustration -- BAY ON HINCHINBROOK ISLAND, WITH NATIVES.] + +By ten o'clock we had reached Garden Island, and beached the boat on a long +sandy spit that stretched into the sea. Leaving one man as boat-keeper, we +spread ourselves into line, and regularly beat the little island from end +to end, but without finding a single black; we could, however, see their +smoke-signals arising from Gould Island, and observed several heavily-laden +canoes making the best of their way towards Hinchinbrook. Our search +having been unsuccessful, we hurried down to the boat, with the intention +of cutting the fugitives off, but found to our disgust that the tide had +fallen so low during our absence that our united strength was insufficient +to move the boat, so we were perforce compelled to remain until the return +of the water. This did not in reality so much signify, indeed, some of the +party were rather averse to our plan of intercepting the canoes, arguing +that if closely pressed, the blacks might make an end of their captives. +However this might be, there was no help for it, we were stuck fast until +the afternoon, so had to summon such philosophy as we possessed, and while +away the time as best we could. The boat's sail, spread under the shade of +a tree, kept the intense heat a little at bay until after dinner, and this +most essential part of the day's programme have been done ample justice to, +and the pipes lighted and smoked out, we wandered about the long space left +bare by the tide, amusing ourselves by collecting oysters, cowrie shells, +and periwinkles. + +The way we captured the two latter was by turning over the rocks, to the +under sides of which we found them adhering in great numbers, sticking on +like snails to a garden wall. Some of the cowries were very beautiful, +particularly those of a deep brown colour approaching to black. This kind, +however, were rather rare, and the lucky finder of a large one excited some +envy. These beautiful little shells are of all sizes, from half an inch to +two inches in length. When the stone is first turned over, the fish is +almost out of its home, and the bright colour of the shell is hidden by a +fleshy integument, but a few seconds suffice for it to withdraw within +doors, and then the mottled pattern is seen in its full beauty. The best +way to get the shell without injury to its gloss, is to keep the fish alive +in a bucket of salt water, until you reach home, and then to dig a hole a +couple of feet deep, and bury them. In a month or so, they may be taken +up, and will be found quite clean, free from smell, and as bright in hue as +during life. I have tried boiling them, heaping them in the sun, and +various other methods, but this is undoubtedly the best. + +[Illustration -- SATIN BOWER-BIRDS] + +Should it ever fall to the lot of any of my readers to have to cook +periwinkles -- and there are many worse things, when you are certain of +their freshness -- let them remember that they should be boiled in 'salt +water'. This is to give them toughness; if fresh water is used, however +expert the operator may be with his pin, he will fail to extract more than +a moiety of the curly delicacy. These little facts, though extraneous to +our subject, are always worth knowing. + +At one end of Garden Island, and distant from it about 200 yards, stands a +very singular rock, of a whitish hue, and when struck at a certain angle by +the sun, so much resembling the canvas of a vessel, that it was named the +"Sail Rock." At low tide this could be reached by wading, the water being +little more than knee-deep. Its base was literally covered with oysters of +the finest quality. The mere task of getting there was one of considerable +difficulty, for the rock was as slippery as glass, and whenever you got a +fall -- which happened on an average every five minutes -- bleeding hands +and jagged knees bore testimony to a couch of growing bivalves being +anything but as soft as a feather bed; also the oysters cling so fast that +they might be taken for component parts of the rock, and only a cold chisel +and mallet will induce them to relinquish their firm embrace. Three or +four of the party had ventured out, and we had secured a large sackful, +after which we all retired to the tent, except one of our number, who, +having a lady-love in Cardwell with an inordinate affection for shell-fish, +lingered to fill a haversack for his 'inamorata'. We were comfortably +smoking our pipes and watching with satisfaction the tide rising higher and +higher, when a faint "coo-eh" from the direction of the rock reached us, +followed by another and another and another, each one more shrill than the +last. + +"By Jove, Wordsworth's in some trouble!" exclaimed one of our party, and, +snatching up our carbines, we hurried to the end of the island at which +stood the Sail Rock. The tide had now risen considerably, and the water +between the rock and ourselves was over four feet deep, and increasing in +depth each moment. We saw poor Wordsworth clinging on to the slippery +wall, as high up as the smooth mass afforded hand-hold. + +"Come along, old fellow!" we shouted; "it's not up to your neck yet." + +"He turned his head over his shoulder -- even at the distance we were, its +pallor was quite visible -- and slowly and cautiously releasing one hand, +he pointed to the water between himself and the island. + +"By Jove!" cried the pilot, "he's bailed up by a shark, look at his +sprit-sail!" and following his finger we saw an enormous black fin sailing +gently to and fro, as regularly and methodically as a veteran sentry paces +the limits of his post. + +"Stick tight, old man! we'll bring the boat," and leaving the pilot to +keep up a fusillade at the monster with the carbines, we darted back. I +shall never forget the efforts we made to launch the boat, but she was +immovable, and every moment the tide was rising, the little ripples +expending themselves in bubbly foam against the thirsty sand. We strained, +we tugged, we prised with levers, but unavailingly, the boat seemed as if +she had taken root there and would not budge an inch. A happy thought +struck me all of a sudden, as a reminiscence of a similar case that I had +seen in years gone by came back in full vigour. + +"Give me a tomahawk," I said. + +One was produced in a minute from under the stern-sheets. Meanwhile I had +got out a couple of the oars. + +"Now, Jim, you're the best axeman, off with them here!" + +Half a dozen strokes to each, and the blades were severed from the looms. + +"Now boys, lay aft and lift her stern." + +It was done, and one of the oars placed under as a roller. + +"Now, launch together." + +"Heave with a will." + +"She's moving!" + +"Again so. Keep her going." + +"Hurrah!" and a loud cheer broke forth, as, through the medium of the +friendly rollers, the heavy boat trundled into the water. + +The pull was long, at least it seemed to us long, for we had to round the +sandy spit before we could head towards the rock, and nearly got on shore +in trying to make too close a shave. We could hear the crack of the +pilot's carbine every few minutes, borne down to us by the freshening +breeze, and the agonising "coo-ehs" of poor Wordsworth, whose ankles were +already hidden by the advancing waters; added to this, we had only two +oars, and the wind, now pretty strong, was dead in our teeth. I was +steering, and Jim was standing up in the bows with his carbine for a shot, +if the shark offered such an opportunity. As we neared the rock we could +distinctly see the black fin within six feet of the narrow ledge on which +the poor fellow was standing, and only when we approached to within a +couple of boats' lengths, did the ferocious brute sail sullenly out to sea, +pursued by a harmless bullet from Jim's rifle. Poor Wordsworth dropped +into the boat fainting from terror, exhaustion, and loss of blood, for, +although he was unconscious of it all the time, in his convulsive grip, the +sharp oyster-shells had cut his hands to the very bone. A good glass of +grog and some hot tea -- the bushman's infallible remedy -- soon brought +him round, but the scars on his hands and knees will accompany him to his +grave. He afterwards described the glances that the shark threw at him as +perfectly diabolical, and confessed that he it not been for the cheery +hails of the pilot, he should most certainly have relinquished his hold, +and met with a death too horrible to contemplate. + +It was now about three o'clock in the afternoon, and the boat being +launched, we resolved to reach Gould Island before dark. The tent was soon +struck, the provisions stowed away, the priming of the carbines looked to +afresh, and in a few minutes we were sweeping across the small belt of +water that separated the two islands. We approached the shore with +caution, for, as I mentioned before, the sides of Gould Island are +everywhere very steep, and hostile blacks, by simply dislodging some of the +loose masses of rock, could easily have smashed the boat and its crew to +pieces without exposing themselves to the slightest danger. Noiselessly, +and with every faculty painfully alert, we closed the land, sprang on to +the rocks, and at once set about the tedious task of breasting the hill. +Hill climbing, under the vertical sun of North Australia, is by no means an +enjoyable undertaking, more particularly when the loose shale and rock +gives way at every stride, bringing down an avalanche of rubbish on the +heads of the rearmost of the party. Encumbered with our carbines, we made +but slow progress, and it was nearly six o'clock before we attained the +summit, from whence we saw several canoes making their way with full speed +towards Hinchinbrook. + +"So far then, so good," we said; "we have made certain that none of the +rascals are lurking about the two islands, and we are sure to get them now, +when we sweep Hinchinbrook." + +We had now done everything that was possible until the 'Daylight' had +finished unloading, and so spread ourselves out about the island to see if +the blacks had left any of their curious implements behind them. We were +in no hurry to get back to the township, so purposed having supper where we +were, and pulling back in the cool of the evening, by the light of the +moon, which was just then in full glory. We found plenty of traces of the +blacks, the embers of their fires even still glowing, but they had carried +off everything with them, and no trophies crowned our search of Gould +Island; and yet I am wrong, for I got one memento, which I have by me +still, and which is so curious to lovers of natural history that I am +tempted to describe it. In rummaging about, I came to a place strewed with +old bones, shells, parrots' feathers, etc., close to which stood a platform +of interwoven sticks. I was terribly puzzled at first to account for the +presence of this miniature rag and bone depot, and my astonishment culminated when Ferdinand informed me that -- + +"Bird been make it that fellow; plenty d--d thief that fellow, steal like it pipe, like it anything." + +It then flashed across me that I had fallen in with the "run" of the +bower-bird, of which I had so often heard, and had so often sought for +without success. + +The satin bower-bird ('Ptilonorhynchus holosericus') belongs to the family +of starlings, and though tolerably common in New South Wales, is but a rare +visitor to the hotter climate of Northern Queensland. The plumage of the +adult male is of a glossy satin-like purple, appearing almost black, whilst +the females and the young are all of an olive-greenish colour. The +peculiarity for which this bird is generally known, is its habit of +constructing a sort of arbour of dry twigs, to act as a playground. These +bowers are usually made in some secluded place in the bush -- not +infrequently under the shady boughs of a large tree -- and vary +considerably in size, according to the number of birds resorting to them, +for they seem to be joint-stock affairs, and are not limited to one pair. +The bower itself is somewhat difficult to describe, and a better idea can +be formed from the engraving, or by visiting the British Museum, where +several are shown, than I can ever hope to set before the reader in words. +A number of sticks, most artistically woven together, form the base, from +the centre of which the walls of the structure arise. These walls are made +of lighter twigs, and considerable pains must be taken in their selection, +for they all have an inward curve, which in some "runs" cause the sides +almost to meet at the top. The degree of forethought that these +self-taught architects possess is strikingly exemplified in the fact that, +whilst building the walls, any forks or inequalities are turned 'outwards', +so as to offer no impediment to their free passage when skylarking (if it +is not an Irishism, using such an expression with regard to a starling) and +chasing each other through and through the bower, to which innocent +recreations, according to the testimony of Messrs. Cato and Ferdinand, they +devote the major part of their time. Their love of finery and gaudy +colours is also most remarkable. Interwoven amongst the twigs of which the +bower is composed, and scattered about the ground in its vicinity, are +found bleached bones, broken oyster, snail, and cowrie shells, and not +unfrequently, in the more civilised districts, pieces of coloured rag, and +fragments of ribbon pilfered from some neighbouring station, for, in search +of attractive objects to decorate his playground, the bower-bird entirely +ignores the eighth commandment, and, I fear, justifies the somewhat strong +expression of "d--d thief" which Ferdinand bestowed on him. Indeed, so +well are his filching propensities known to the natives, that they make a +practice of searching the runs whenever any small article of value is +missing, and often succeed in recovering the lost object. + +I find that I have been using the pronoun 'he' hitherto, whilst describing +this insatiable love of finery, but on reflection I cannot but think that I +am utterly wrong, and that when more is known of the domestic arrangements +of the bower-bird, it will be found that the lady alone is responsible for +this meretricious taste, and that the poor 'he', whom I have so +unblushingly accused, is in reality gathering berries and fruit for the +little ones, guiltless of the slightest inclination towards picking and +stealing. + +These birds live and thrive in confinement, and busy themselves immensely +in the construction of runs, but they never multiply whilst captive. +Indeed, the place and manner of their breeding is as yet a mystery, for, so +skilful are they in concealment, that even the lynx-eyed blacks have failed +to discover their next. + +We found the descent to the boat incomparably preferable to the tedious +climb of two hours previous, and, thanks to the promise of a "nobbler of +rum each," Cato and Ferdinand transported my precious "run" in safety to +the stern-sheets; the sun having then sunk in crimson beauty behind the +coast-range, and the breeze having fallen to the faintest whisper, we +shoved off, and pulled leisurely over the calm bay to Cardwell, arriving +about ten o'clock, to hear the welcome news that the 'Daylight' would be +ready for us on the following afternoon. + +HOW WE EXPLORED HINCHINBROOK ISLAND. + +The sun was just showing above the distant sea-line, and the bay was lying +motionless as a mirror, with a rosy hue thrown across its placid surface, +when I awoke on the following morning, stiff from the clamber of the +preceding day. The short half-hour before the rays of the sun have +attained an unpleasant fierceness is most enjoyable in Australia, +particularly in a wild region such as Cardwell, where birds, beasts, and +fishes pursue their daily avocations, heedless of the presence of man. My +house was situated at the extreme north end of the township, and far apart +from the nearest dwelling -- so much so, in fact, that it was only by a +stretch of the imagination that I could say I was included within the +village boundary. On the side farthest from the settlement lay the virgin +bush, whilst outside the garden at the back, all was wild and rude as +Nature had left it, except a small clearing I had made for the growth of +maize, sweet potatoes, etc. Now this clearing had many enemies, and of +many species, ranging from feathered and furred to biped. The cockatoos +came down in such clouds as almost to whiten the ground, and made short +work of the maize; the bandicoots and the township pigs dug up and devoured +the sweet potatoes, just as they were becoming large enough for use -- +commend me to your half-starved pig to find out in a moment where the +juiciest and finest esculent lies buried -- and the chattering little +opossums stripped the peach-trees of their wealth, in which labour of love +they were eagerly assisted by the flying-foxes during the night, whilst any +that had escaped these nocturnal depredators became the spoil of two or +three idle boys, who loafed about all day, seeking mischief, and, as always +happens, succeeding in finding it, even in this sequestered region. From +this it will be seen that my efforts in the direction of husbandry were +attended with some difficulty, and, despite a real liking for the animal +world, I had imbibed a holy hatred of that particular section of its +society which insisted on devouring my substance under my very nose, only +retreating to the nearest tree until my back was turned, and then resuming +operations with unblushing effrontery. By way of a mild vengeance, I had +got into the habit of coming out every morning directly I awoke, with my +gun, and easing off both barrels amongst the cockatoos, wallabies, or +whatever particular class of robbers happened to be afield at the moment -- +a practice which served as a safety-valve for my injured feelings, whilst +at the same time it provided me with a cockatoo pie, or a good bowl of +kangaroo-tail soup. + +Once, in my indignation at finding my palings broken down, and some +sugar-cane, that I had been most carefully rearing, rooted up and +destroyed, while the author of the mischief, a huge sow, innocent of the +restraining ring (I would have hung the ring of the 'Devastation's' best +bower-anchor to her snout, had I been allowed to follow out my wishes), +stood gloating over the havoc she had caused. Then, in my wrath, I had +hastily loaded a carbine with a handful of salt, and prematurely converted +a portion of my enemy's flank into bacon; but even this just act of +retribution was not to be accomplished without further loss to myself, for +on receipt of my hint to move on, her sowship dashed straight ahead, and +brought down a whole panel of my fence about her ears, owing to which the +village cows, which I had often observed throwing longing glances over the +paling at my bananas, doubtless apprised of their opportunity by the +evil-minded and malicious sow, took a mean advantage of the weakness of my +defences, and on the same night devoured everything in the garden that they +thought worthy of their attention. + +Though I had now become hardened to the many injuries thus heaped upon me, +and had almost discontinued all attempts at cultivation, I still retained +the habit of stepping out into the verandah every morning with my gun, but +more with an eye to the pot than for any other reason. + +Beautiful as the scene always was, it struck me that day as being of +unusual splendour. The tall gum-trees, with their naked stems, and curious +hanging leaves that exasperate the heated traveller by throwing the +scantiest of shadows, glistened dew-beaded in the rising sun. The laughing +jackass, perched upon a bare limb, was awaking the forest echoes with his +insane fits of laughter, alternating from a good-humoured chuckle to the +frenzied ravings of a despairing maniac. Suddenly ceasing, he would dart +down upon some hapless lizard, too early astir for its own safety, and, +with his writhing prey in his bill, would fly to some other branch, and +after swallowing his captive, burst forth into a yell of self-gratulation +even-more fiendish than before. The delicate little "paddy melon," a small +species of kangaroo, turned his gracefully-formed little head, beautiful as +a fawn's, and, startled at the strange figure in the verandah, stood +hesitatingly for a few seconds, and then, bending forward, bounded into the +scrub, the noise caused by the flapping of its tail being audible long +after the little animal itself was lost to sight. The white cockatoos, +alarmed by the outcry of the sentry -- for, like the English rooks, they +always tell off some of their number to keep a look-out -- who with +sulphur-coloured crest, erect and outstretched neck, kept up a constant cry +of warning, rose from the maize patch, the spotless white of their plumage +glancing in the sun, and forming a beautiful contrast to the pale +straw-colour of the under portion of their extended pinions. With +discordant screams they circle about, as if a little undetermined, and then +perch upon the topmost branches of the tallest trees, where they screech, +flap their wings, and engage in a series of either imaginary combats, or +affectionate caresses, until, the coast being clear, they are again enabled +to continue their repast. + +A curious and indescribable wailing cry is heard in the air, singularly +depressing in its effect, and a string of some dozen black cockatoos flit +from tree to tree, the brilliant scarlet band on the tail of the male +flashing as he alternately expands and contracts it, to keep his balance +whilst extracting the sweets from the flowers of the 'Eucalypti'. Few +things present so great a contrast as the cries of these two birds -- of +the same family, and so alike in everything but colour -- and yet both are +disagreeable: that of the white variety from its piercing harshness, and +that of the black from an indefinable sensation of the approach of coming +evil it carries with it -- at least, such is the effect it always has upon +me. On strolling to the paling and looking into the clearing -- for +although my gun is in my hand, it is loaded with ball cartridge, and I do +not fire -- the nimble little bandicoot scuttled away towards his hollow +log, looking so uncommonly like a well-fattened rat, that I mentally wonder +how I could ever have had the courage to eat one, and a flight of +rainbow-hued Blue Mountain parrots, who have held their ground to the last, +whirr up with a prodigious flapping of wings, and, alighting on a gum-tree, +can be seen hanging about the blossoms, head downwards, sucking out the +honey with their uncouth beaks and awkward little tongues, which seem but +badly adapted to such a delicate task. But I find I am digressing +terribly, and the gloomy winter days of England, which make the +recollection of a bright tropical morning so agreeable a task to +contemplate, must be my excuse. + +After breakfast, I hurried down to the beach to see if Tom Frewin, the +skipper of the little cutter, 'Daylight', would be likely to keep his +promise, and have the vessel ready to start by noon. I found him busily +engaged with his not over-numerous crew -- for it consisted only of a man +and a boy, besides himself, though Mrs. Tom, who also lived in the tiny +craft, ought to be counted as no inconsiderable addition to the vessel's +complement, for she did the cooking, and on occasions could take the tiller +and steer as cunningly as the gallant Tom himself. I found him hard at +work hurrying the cargo over the side, assisted by the townspeople, who all +showed the greatest anxiety that no time should be lost in setting out for +the relief of the shipwrecked men. Everything thus pointing to the +probability of our getting away that afternoon, the provision question had +to be next considered, for the party would be numerous, and the exact time +our expedition would take could scarcely be correctly estimated. We knew +Government would refund us for any reasonable outlay, and so determined our +search should not be cut short by any scarcity of food, and our fears of +overshooting the mark and laying in more than we could consume, were +allayed by Mr. McB--, the store-keeper who generously offered to supply us, +and to take back, without charge, anything that remained at the expiration +of the trip. All difficulties being thus disposed of, we were left at +liberty to make our own private arrangements, until one o'clock, by which +time the 'Daylight' would have laid in her water, etc., and be ready to +start. + +But I must now say something of the party itself, which we were compelled +to limit to ten men, inclusive of the native police. These consisted of +the pilot and his crew of two men, Mr. Dunmore, the officer in command of +the police, with the two troopers, Ferdinand and Cato, three volunteers, +and myself. Where all were anxious and willing to aid in the good task, it +would have been invidious to select, and the volunteers drew lots from a +bag in which all were blanks but three, the gainers of these lucky numbers +becoming members of the party. + +One other addition we had, and right yeoman's service she did, for it was a +'she', reader as the sequel will prove. About eighteen months before, the +troopers had visited Hinchinbrook Island, to recover stolen property, and +in one of the native camps had found an exceedingly pretty gin of some +fourteen summers. The personal charms of this coy nymph of the forest had +proved too much for the susceptible heart of Ferdinand, who, regarding her +as his lawful prize, had borne her, irate and struggling, to the boat, from +whence she was in due course transported to the police camp (mounted on the +pommel of the saddle in front of the adventurous swain), where, in a very +short time she became perfectly at home, and under the name of Lizzie, made +Ferdinand a remarkably pleasant wife. + +Certainly the blacks are a curious race, the like of which was never before +seen under the sun. For two days after Lizzie's arrival in camp, she +refused to speak or eat; for the next two days she ate everything she could +lay her hands on, but still kept an unbroken silence; and for another two +days, whenever she was not eating, she "yabbered" so much and so fast that +the other gins looked on aghast, unable to get a word in edgewise, so +continuous was the flow of Hinchinbrook vituperation. On the seventh day, +as if by magic, she brought her tirade to a close, went down to the creek +with the other gins to fetch water, cooked her husband's supper, appeared +perfectly reconciled to her change of life, and henceforth, from her +sharpness, the aptitude with which she picked up the broken English in +which the officers communicate with the troopers, and her great knowledge +of the surrounding country, she became a most useful acquisition to the +camp, and Dunmore used frequently to say that Lizzie was worth three extra +troopers. One of the most extraordinary things about her -- and she was +not unique, for all the Australian blacks are alike constituted in this +respect -- was the facility with which she seemed to rupture all the +natural ties of kinship and affection. Her own tribe -- her father, +mother, sisters, all were apparently wiped from her mind as completely as +writing is removed from a slate by a sponge; or, if ever remembered, it was +never with any mark of regret. + + + +AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY -- II. + +BY CHARLES H. EDEN. + + +BETWEEN one and two o'clock, the report of a little swivel gun, with which +the taffrail of the 'Daylight' was armed, echoed over the bay, and +announced to the party that all was in readiness. In a very few minutes we +were all mustered on the beach, looking, I must confess, remarkably like +brigands, in our slouching and high-crowned Californian hats, coatless, and +with shirt-sleeves either tucked up or cut off above the elbow, which, with +the carbine that each man carried in his hand, and the revolvers, knives, +etc., stuck into the waist-belts, made our 'tout ensemble' such, that I am +convinced no honest citizen, with a plethoric purse, who saw us thus for +the first time, would have felt quite at his ease in our company. With a +ringing cheer from the townspeople assembled on the beach, under the shade +of the big trees, we shoved off, and, manned by willing hands, the cable +rattled in, in a fashion that must have astonished the old windlass, +accustomed to the leisurely proceedings that usually obtained on board the +'Daylight'. The sail was soon clapped on, the little vessel heeled over to +the sea-breeze now setting in pretty stiffly, and ten minutes after +quitting the shore we were down in the hold, the captain and his lady +occupying the cabin. Making our preparations for the night, which +consisted, I may mention, mainly of spreading out our blankets, whilst the +'Daylight', with the Government whale-boat towing astern, was beating up +against the adverse wind for the north end of Hinchinbrook, where we +purposed anchoring for the night, and commencing our search on the +following morning. + +What with a contrary wind and tide, it was not until past ten o'clock that +we glided into the little bay, and, shortening sail as noiselessly as +possible, let down the anchor by hand to avoid the rattling of the chain +through the hawsehole, which, in the stillness of the night, would have +certainly reached the keen ears of the blacks, were there any in the +neighbourhood, and caused them to shift their quarters. The little inlet +or creek in which we now found ourselves, was entirely new to us, and we +were indebted to Lizzie for the discovery of such a quiet retreat. With +straining eyes, our novel pilotess stood at the heel of the bowsprit, +extending an arm in the direction she wished the vessel to go, and, her +task completed, she wrapped her blanket round her active little body, +scarcely shrouded in the striped twill shirt that constituted her sole +attire, and, sinking down in the waterways under the lee of the gunwale, +was soon sound asleep -- a sensible proceeding, which, as soon as +everything was secured, we hastened to imitate. + +We had arranged our plans for the morrow in the following manner. Before +dawn, the whale-boat was to land all the party, including Lizzie, with the +exception of the pilot and his two men. He was to return to the 'Daylight' +after having put us ashore, and, getting under weigh as soon as the wind +was strong enough, was to take her round to a small inlet on the island, +some distance down Rockingham Channel, and there await either our arrival +or further instructions. Our expedition was to join him there in two or +three days at the farthest, perhaps sooner; but, whatever happened, he was +to remain with the cutter at the rendezvous, and on no account, nor under +any inducement, was he to quit until he either saw or heard from us, +however long the time might be. During the daytime the whale-boat was to +be kept hauled up alongside the cutter, with the carbines belonging to the +crew loaded and triced up under the thwarts, ready for immediate service, +and a bright look-out was to be kept on the channel, in both directions. +If the natives attempted the smallest communication with the mainland, the +whale-boat was to give chase immediately, and either intercept and capture +the canoes, or compel them to return to Hinchinbrook Island. + +Such was the rough plan we sketched out for the guidance of the 'Daylight'. +With regard to ourselves, we could make no standing rule, for the country +was comparatively unknown to us, and we must, Micawber-like, trust to +something turning up and, in the pursuit of this happy event, must follow +whithersoever fortune and Miss Lizzie thought fit to lead us. + +At least an hour before dawn we were astir, and swallowing the scalding tea +that the man on watch had prepared: this done, and a snack of damper and +cold meat eaten, we got quietly into the boat and were pulled ashore. +Until daylight, we were unable to make our way, for paths there were none, +and the ground was dangerous from the quantity of stones, etc., so we were +compelled to sit down quietly and smoke our pipes until we could see to +pick our way. In the tropics there is but little dawn; the sun springs up +without heralding his approach by a lengthened gradation from darkness to +night, as obtains in more temperate climes, and but little patience was +requisite to enable us to commence our search. As many of our readers are +doubtless aware that in Australia no journey is ever undertaken on foot; +that the real bushman would think himself sunk to the depths of abject +poverty, if he had not at least 'one' horse of his own; and that a man will +wander about for a couple of hours looking for a horse to carry him half a +mile, when he might have gone to his destination and back half a dozen +times, in the interval wasted in searching for his steed. Knowing this, +they will doubtless wonder why we did not bring our mounts with us, and +perform the journey comfortably, in place of the tedious method we now +adopted. It must not for a moment be imagined that the great assistance +horses would have afforded us had not been duly weighted and considered, +and our reasons for leaving them behind were as follows: -- From the little +we knew of Hinchinbrook, and from the description Lizzie gave of the +country, they would have been rather in our way than otherwise. The whole +island is a mass of lofty volcanic mountains; and the passes through the +gorges so strewn with huge boulders, debris, and shale, that we should have +been compelled to lead our nags, and thus they would have only proved an +encumbrance. This was one reason, and apparently a very good one, but I +doubt if it would have had much effect upon our party, who could hardly +contemplate any undertaking without the agency of horseflesh, had not a +more cogent argument been forthcoming, to which they were compelled to give +in their adherence. + +"The 'Daylight' is quite big enough to carry them all, for such a short +distance, if they're properly stowed," said Jack Clark, the roughrider, who +was a zealous advocate for the conveyance of his pet quadrupeds. + +"Of course she can," said another; "and we shall get the work over as +quickly again." + +"How will you land them?" I ventured to suggest; "for the cutter can never +go near enough to the shore to walk them out." + +"She can't get within a quarter of a mile," said the pilot; for at this +time none of us knew of the little inlet, into which Lizzie so deftly +guided us. + +"Pitch them overboard, of course," cried Jack; "they'll pretty soon make +for the land; and I'll send my mare Gossamer first; she'll give them a +lead, I'll bet. Cunning old devil!" + +The impetuosity of Jack was fast gaining converts, when Cato pulled Dunmore +quietly by the sleeve, and said -- + +"Marmy, baal you take 'em yarroman like 'it Hinchinbrook; my word, plenty +of alligator sit down along of water. He been parter that fellow like 'it +damper." + +"By Jove! Cato's right," said Dunmore; "we forget about the alligators and +sharks. I won't let the boys take their horses, and shall not take my own. +I lost one horse from an alligator last year, on the Pioneer River, and +Government wanted to make me pay for it, and I'll take care I don't risk +losing 'three'. Bring Gossamer, if you like, Clark, but, take my word for +it, you'll never see her again." + +This unexpected contingency; the prophesied fate of Gossamer, which was as +the apple of Jack's eye; and the point-blank and sensible refusal of +Dunmore to hazard the Government horses, completely turned the tables. +After a little inward grumbling, Jack consoled himself, saying -- + +"Well, at all events, I can 'think' of riding!" + +And thus it came to pass that we landed on Hinchinbrook, with no means of +locomotion beyond those with which nature had endowed us. + +And now, headed by Lizzie, and walking in single file and in silence, we +struck out for the interior of the island. The path -- if path it could be +called, for it consisted only of a dim track beaten by the naked feet of +the blacks -- wound in and out among the long grass, which, as we +approached the foot of the mountain range, became exchanged for boulders +and loose shale, which rendered walking most tedious, and played the very +mischief with our boots. Here even this track seemed, to our eyes, to die +out; but Lizzie led the way confidently, and evidently with a thorough +knowledge of what she was about. We had now been walking for more than +three hours, and had apparently only got half way up a kind of gorge in the +mountains, which seemed to become gradually narrower and narrower, and from +all appearances afforded every prospect of terminating in a 'cul-de-sac'. +A watercourse must at some period have run down this ravine, for the +boulders were rounded; but it was now quite dry. As the sides of the +mountains drew nearer, our path led along this watercourse, and the walking +became dreadfully fatiguing. The boulders were sometimes so close as to +render walking between impossible, and then it became necessary to clamber +over them, which, loaded as we were, was very painful. If, on the other +hand, we attempted to journey on the 'top' of the boulders, they were not +only of unequal heights, but sometimes so wide apart, that a good spring +was requisite to get from one to the other. Lizzie was the only one of the +party who appeared thoroughly at home; her light figure bounded from rock +to rock with the greatest ease and rapidity. Even Cato and Ferdinand, +barefooted as they were, seemed to be a long way from enjoying themselves, +and for us wretched Europeans, with our thick boots, that obtained scarcely +any foothold, we slipped about from the rounded shoulders of the rocks, in +a way that was anything but pleasant. + +Thus we scrambled along for another hour, at the expiration of which we +could only see a blank wall of mountain before us, up which it would have +been both impossible and useless to climb. Wondering where the deuce +Lizzie was leading us, we blundered along until we arrived at the base of +the perpendicular cliff, and saw that by some convulsion of nature the +ravine now branched off at a right angle to the left, and gradually widened +out into a beautiful and gently declining stretch of country, perfectly +shut in by hills, and into which a pretty little bay extended, with several +canoes on its placid surface. We were distant from the beach about three +miles, and could see clearly the smoke of several fires; while with +binocular glasses we could make out the figures of the blacks fishing, and +of the piccaninnies and gins romping in the sand. + +Lizzie was a sight to see, as she pointed triumphantly to the unconscious +savages, and, trembling with eagerness, tapped the butt of Dunmore's +carbine, as she whispered -- + +"Those fellow sit down there, brother belonging to me, plenty you shoot +'em, Marmy." + +"You take us close up along of those fellow, Lizzie?" said Dunmore. + +"Your Marmy, plenty close, you been shoot 'em all mine think," replied our +amiable little guide, who, enjoining the strictest silence, at once put +herself in motion, bidding us, by a sign, to follow her. + +For more than an hour and a half we crept cautiously along, sometimes +crawling on all fours where the country was open, and frequently stopping, +while Lizzie went noiselessly forward and reconnoitred, before beckoning to +us to advance again. The direction in which she led us lay at the base of +the hills, which on one side bounded the little plain and its bay, and +though we could form but a crude idea of where we were going, owing to the +thickness of the undergrowth, yet it was sufficiently evident that the +young lady was one of nature's tacticians, and meditated a flank blow at +her unfortunate relatives. Proceeding, we came at last within a stone's +throw of the beach, and could hear the mimic waves rolling on the sand, at +no great distance, on our right hand. Lizzie now pointed to a small belt +of vine shrub that lay in front of us, and indicated that immediately +outside it were the 'gunyahs', or huts; and, "plenty you shoot," she added +showing her white teeth as she grinned with glee at the thoughts of the +cheerful surprise she had prepared for her old companions. We were not +thoroughly on the 'qui vive', for we thought this unknown bay would be the +very spot in which the blacks were likely to seclude any prisoners from the +'Eva', and accordingly willingly followed the lithe figure of our little +guide, as she wound her way through the tangled brake, like a black snake, +and with a facility that we in vain attempted to imitate. The troopers -- +who had reduced their clothing to a minimum, for their sole vestment +consisted of a forage-cap and cartridge-belt -- wound along as noiselessly +as Lizzie; but we poor whites -- with our flannel shirts and other +complicated paraphernalia that custom would not permit us to dispense with +in the matter-of-fact way they were laid aside by our sable allies -- were +getting into continual trouble; now hitched up helplessly by a lawyer vine, +whose sharp prickles, like inverted fish-hooks, rent the skin; now crawling +unsuspiciously against a tree-ants' nest, an indiscretion that the fierce +little insects visited with immediate and most painful punishment; or else, +becoming aware, by unmistakable symptoms, that we were trying to force a +passage through a stinging tree-shrub. Whenever we thus came to grief, +Lizzie would stop, turn round, and wave her arms about like a semaphore, +indicative of impatience, contempt mingled with pity and warning. + +Luckily for us, the belt of scrub was not of great extent; Lizzie had +already reached its edge, and was peering cautiously through, and we were +struggling along, each after his own fashion, when bang went a carbine, the +bullet of which we distinctly heard whistle over our heads, and turning +round we got a glimpse of Jack, the roughrider, hung up in a vine, one of +whose tendrils had fired off his weapon; and had just time to hear him +exclaim, "If I'd only been mounted, this wouldn't have happened," before we +broke cover, and all further concealment being now unnecessary, rushed +recklessly on to the encampment. + +But we were too late to capture any of the men, for I need hardly tell the +reader that never had we intended to make use of the curt arguments that +Lizzie had relied upon for cutting off the abrupt exit of her quondam +friends; it would be quite time enough to commence a system of reprisals +when it was ascertained that the blacks had actually been guilty of any +atrocity. At present it was mere surmise on our part, and putting +altogether on one side the natural reluctance to shed blood, an aggressive +policy would have been an unwise one, engendering, as it infallibly would, +a bad feeling against any other luckless mariners whom the winds and the +waves might in time to come cast upon the inhospitable shores of +Hinchinbrook Island. + +The sudden report of Jack's carbine, which occasioned a momentary halt, and +the few seconds required to burst through the scrub, afforded sufficient +time for the male portion of the encampment to make their escape at speed, +in different directions, some taking to the water, where they were picked +up by the fishermen in the canoes; others diving into the nearest cover, +and being lost to sight without hope of recovery. The women and children +followed the tactics usual on such occasions, and flung themselves into a +heap, similar in colour and contour to that described in a previous +chapter, when we searched the Herbert River. The same thing took place +again exactly; we sat down in a circle round them, waiting for the +deafening "yabbering" to die away, which "yabbering" burst forth in all its +pristine discord, whenever one of the party made the slightest movement. +Time and patience, however, had the desired effect, restoring tone to their +not over sensitive systems, and at the expiration of half an hour, we could +distinguish sharp, bead-like black eyes peering at us out of the mass, +which had now sunk into silence, but burst out again louder than ever, when +Lizzie made her appearance from one of the gunyahs -- perhaps the paternal +roof, who knows? -- where she had retired, swelling with indignation, and +as sulky as a whole team of mules. Finding that no one took any notice of +her, and half an hour's reflection having, I suppose, convinced her, that +if she wanted to make a display before her relations, now was the time, her +ladyship came slowly up to the circle, and commenced an attack on poor +Dunmore, as she knew him best. To transcribe her words would be +impossible, for she put in a native sentence whenever she found herself at +a loss for an English one, but the burden of her plaint was this: -- + +"Plenty d--d fooly fellow, white fellow" -- a string of Hinchinbrook +vernacular -- "Baal you been shoot 'em like 'it dingo" -- more +Hinchinbrook, but evidently, from the accompanying gestures, indicative of +intense disgust -- "Baal mine take any more along of black fellow camp" -- +half sobs -- "Baal mine care suppose you fellow all go like 'it --" + +And she summarily consigned us to the bottomless pit, as the only place at +all suited for such stupid idiots who could refrain from shooting blacks +when so grand an opportunity presented itself. Her eyes flashed fire as +she delivered herself of her woes, and at the concluding sentence she +stamped her little foot, and flinging a short waddy she held, with +remarkable dexterity and no mean force, into the midst of the sable mass, +she turned round to depart with the dignity of a tragedy queen, when +Dunmore jumped up, caught her, and holding her wrist, walked off a little +way from us. + +"You like 'it one fine fellow red shirt, Lizzie? Mine give you one with +'plenty long tail'. Baal any other gin along of camp have shirt like 'it +you; and when piccaninny sit down" (for there was a prospect of her +presenting Ferdinand with a little pledge of affection), "mine give that +fellow two budgeree flour-bag shirts, suppose only you good fellow girl +Lizzie." + +Evidently, Dunmore knew the way to the young lady's heart -- we nicknamed +him "Faust" afterwards -- for at the mention of the red shirt, with the +lengthy tails, her eyes lost their fierceness, and the allusion to the +piccaninny completed his victory, and changing at once from one extreme to +the other, as only a black or a child can, Miss Lizzie took her seat in the +circle, lighted her pipe, commenced nodding to, and chatting most affably +with, her relatives, and looking so kind, that it seemed impossible to +believe that an intense longing for bloodshed and cruelty had so shortly +before lurked in the breast of the pretty, smiling little savage who was +now beside us. + +During the task of pacifying Lizzie, the "heap" had again sunk into +comparative silence, and only a confused murmur was audible from its +depths. Allowing no time to be lost, Dunmore said to Lizzie -- who was +puffing out huge mouthfuls of smoke, greatly to the astonishment of the +other gins, who looked as if they expected to see her suddenly blaze up -- + +"Lizzie, you ask, suppose they been see any white fellow on island? White +fellow in plenty big canoe. That fellow canoe been come like 'it shore. +You tell them, 'Baal white fellow hurt you, suppose you been show, where +brother belonging to him sit down.' You tell them that, Lizzie." + +Lizzie proceeded with the greatest gravity, and evidently with an +overwhelming sense of self-importance, to put the required questions, +whilst we anxiously awaited her replies. + +"Well, what they been say?" exclaimed Dunmore at last, when there was a +momentary break in the conversation. + +I should imagine that the vernacular of the Hinchinbrook Islanders was not +pre-eminently adapted for the noble intricacies of diplomatic intrigue. In +the first place it contains but few words, and none representing any number +higher than five, so that even the courtly nobleman now presiding over +Foreign Affairs, would find the smooth flow of his amenities subjected to +rude shocks; and as for expressing any large number either in words or +figures -- say, for instance, the Alabama indemnity of three millions -- to +do so, would tax to the utmost the genius of the late Chancellor of the +Exchequer. Lizzie, in her first flash of pride, as representing a +plenipotentiary armed with extraordinary powers, had commenced negotiations +with the dignity and slowness of speech adapted to so exalted a personage. +But the shrill chorus which emanated from the audience was decidedly +antagonistic to grave deliberation, and the anxious curiosity of the woman +superseding the self imposed role of the diplomatist, our envoy lost the +pompous tone she had first adopted, and a volley of queries and replies was +exchanged so rapidly, and with such appalling shrillness, that we onlookers +ran a great risk of being either deafened, or driven out of our senses. At +the first slackening of the wordy warfare, Dunmore put his questions, and +then Lizzie said -- + +"Baal there been any white fellow along of here." + +"You been sure, Lizzie, ask suppose they been see any big fellow canoe." + +Again the same hideous noise now took place, but I will not tire my readers +with too minute a description of a scene with which they must now be pretty +conversant, suffice it to say, that what with the real or pretended +stupidity of the gins, and the imperfect English of our interpreter, we +were more puzzled at the conclusion of the debate than we had been at its +commencement. + +"Had they seen a vessel?" + +"Oh yes, big fellow, with wings like 'it bird." + +"How long ago?" + +"Plenty long time ago." + +"One moon ago?" + +"Yes, one moon ago." + +"Sure it was one moon?" + +"No, thought it must be one day ago, and plenty smoke sit down along of big +canoe." + +Altogether the skein was too tangled for us to attempt to unravel it. They +had seen vessels evidently, both sailing ships and steamers, but whether it +was yesterday, or ten years back, there were no means of ascertaining; but +to make certain that we were not being deceived, we instituted a strict +overhaul of the gunyahs, in hopes of finding something that might give us a +clue to the fate of the missing men. When we broke up our circle for this +purpose, the component parts of the "heap" assumed an upright posture, and +it was remarkable to witness the awe with which they regarded Lizzie. At +first they seemed afraid to approach her, and stood some five yards +distant, watching her whilst she puffed out the smoke from her relighted +pipe, and posed herself in an attitude of becoming superiority, for she saw +clearly enough that the happy moment for making an impression had arrived. +Gradually they drew closer and closer, and at last, three of the eldest +gins going down on all fours, crept slowly up until close in front of her, +when they stopped, and buried their withered old faces in the sand at her +feet. After enjoying their humiliation for a few seconds, she condescended +to speak to them, and very shortly they were all chattering away on the +most amicable terms. + +Meanwhile the gunyahs or native huts, and the camp, had been thoroughly +searched, but without bringing to light anything European, except a few +bottles, and a pint pot which had been accidentally left behind by one of +the party on the occasion of Lizzie's abduction. The gunyahs were better +constructed than usual, and consisted of saplings bent in an arch and +covered with tea-tree bark, a great improvement on all the native dwellings +we had hitherto seen, which were generally little better than a rude screen +against the wind. But our time was precious, for we carried but little +provision; and we could not afford to loiter about, even in so pleasant a +spot as this little bay; so, after dispatching a hasty dinner, we started +off afresh, to the immense relief of the gins, and got out of the valley by +another pass, which Lizzie showed us. I must not forget to mention one +ludicrous circumstance, which convulsed us with laughter. The gins showed +such curiosity about Lizzie's pipe, that she handed it round and made them +each take a puff. Their expressions, when the pungent smoke caused them +either to sneeze, cough, or choke, were most laughable; and I have no doubt +that it is still a matter of wonder to them, and a fruitful source of +debate over the camp-fires, what pleasure the white man can find in filling +his mouth with smoke, apparently with no better object than to puff it out +again as soon as possible. Our course now lay due south, and the +travelling was much the same as in the morning, that is to say, as bad and +as fatiguing as it well could be. Lizzie said she could take us to another +bay, where there were sure to be more blacks; and so we trudged patiently +along under her guidance, with the sun blazing down so fiercely that the +carbine-barrels became quite heated. Our new path was very similar to the +last one, seeming to come to an abrupt termination, but really shooting off +at an angle, and leading down to a bay, which opened out to our view about +five o'clock, and did not present nearly so pretty an appearance as the one +we had just left, for the ground seemed swampy, and the beach was a nasty +muddy mangrove-flat. We were also disappointed in not finding any blacks; +but as there is nothing so bad that it has not some redeeming quality, so +this dreary-looking swamp had its advantages, for the trees were loaded +with Torres Straits' pigeons, and sea-crabs were abundant. This would +enable us to lay in an extra day's provisions, and to extend our search, if +necessary, before visiting the 'Daylight', from which vessel we were now +separated by more than twenty miles of unknown country, inclusive of a +mountainous range. We determined not to shoot any pigeons that night, for +they would only keep the less time; and having lit our fire by the side of +a small creek, we had supper, and were soon sleeping the sleep of the +weary, the watch having instructions to call us at an early hour for the +purpose of replenishing our larder before the birds took their departure +for the mainland. + +A pint pot of tea swallowed -- what a blessing it is that this glorious +beverage is so portable that abundance can always be carried -- three of us +sallied forth with our carbines, from which we had extracted the bullets +and substituted shot, each taking a different direction, the troopers +guaranteeing a crab breakfast, and Lizzie cutting and peeling wooden +skewers to roast the game on; for in this climate nothing will keep beyond +a few hours, unless partially cooked. I struck away towards the left with +the intention of making the mangroves as soon as possible, where I knew I +should find plenty of birds. The walk of the day previous had made me a +little stiff; but I felt lightly clad, without the heavy blanket, which I +had left in camp; and, by way of getting rid of the stiffness, I started +off at a run and soon reached my destination, where I sat down until there +was sufficient daylight to enable me to see the game. As I rested on the +root of a tree, perfectly motionless, I saw something large moving among +the mangroves; but the dawn was as yet so uncertain that I could not +distinguish whether it was a human being or not. + +"If that is a black fellow," I thought, "he's worth all the pigeons put +together, and I'll wait quietly to try and capture him," for the object I +saw was moving in the direction my companions had taken; and if it were a +native, he would be certain to return by the road he had come, when he +heard the firing. Sitting still, waiting for anything or anybody, when +waited on yourself by hungry mosquitoes, may be agreeable enough to Mr. +Fenimore Cooper's typical Red Indian, but I can safely say that it is +anything but pleasant work to a thin-skinned Englishman. Daylight had now +fully come, and I was beginning to hesitate as to whether I had not better +bag some of the birds that were fluttering over my head, and get out of the +swamp as fast as I could, when I heard the distant report of a gun, and +said to myself, "Well, I'll give the nondescript five minutes more, and if +it doesn't turn up by then, I'll blaze away at the pigeons." Half the +allotted time had barely elapsed, when another report broke the stillness +of the morning, and immediately afterwards I heard a rustling among the +mangrove-leaves, and a slight crackling, as though some heavy weight were +passing over the arched roots. I stayed quiet, almost breathless, as the +noise came nearer and nearer, and, turning my head, I peered through the +bush behind which I had taken up my quarters, and saw a fine-looking black +gliding cautiously from one to another of the interlaced mangroves. He was +evidently quite unsuspicious of any danger in front, and kept all his +faculties concentrated on the direction in which he had heard the +carbine-shots, which now followed each other rapidly, as the two gunners +fired at the birds as fast as they could load. + +"Now," thought I, "if I can only cut you off so as to keep you between me +and them, I am pretty certain to capture you, my friend;" and, judging my +time, I rushed from behind my bush, and was within ten yards of him before +he saw me. In his amazement he dropped the long fish-spear with which he +was armed, stood one moment undetermined, and then made his way, with the +greatest agility, from tree to tree, not back towards my friends, as I had +fondly hoped, but straight for the bay. I followed as fast as I could, but +he went two paces to my one. I confess I felt sorely tempted to handicap +him with a charge of small shot, lodged somewhere about the calves of those +lean legs that were carrying him over the roots with such provoking +rapidity, and have often wondered since why I refrained; but I did, and +continued to scuttle after him, now slipping down and barking my shins, now +nearly losing my carbine, and often compelled to sprawl on all fours. He +was now forty or fifty yards ahead of me, and I was nearly giving up the +useless chase, when an unforeseen accident turned the tables in my favour, +and caused me to push on with redoubled vigour. As we approached the bay, +the whole of the roots and lower portions of the mangroves became thickly +studded with oysters, whose shells, sharp as razors, cut the bare feet of +the fugitive; while, on the contrary, they proved of assistance to me by +preventing my thick boots from slipping off the treacherous roots. I now +gained ground as fast as I had previously lost it, and made certain of +capturing my prisoner on arriving at the end of the mangroves, through +which I could already catch glimpses of the sea. Animated by the thoughts +of bringing a captive into camp, from whom we should probably gain valuable +information, I jumped from tree to tree in hot pursuit, and when the bay +opened out clearly, I was only a short distance in the rear. + +"Now I've got you," I muttered, as the black fellow jumped on to the last +stool of roots, and as I was eagerly following, holding my breath for a +tussle; when, to my intense mortification, he plunged headlong into the +sea, leaving me disconsolate and out of wind, to get back as best I could. +I waited until his head reappeared, which was not until he had put a good +thirty yards between us, and, pointing my carbine, shouted to him to return +or I would fire. It was quite useless. He went quietly out seaward, and +at the last, when I turned unwillingly to retrace my steps, I saw his black +head bobbing about on the calm surface. When, after a series of +involuntary feats on the mangrove rope, I again stood on 'terra firma', all +the pigeons had left; and I was compelled to make my way back to camp, +empty-handed, muddy, cut about the shins, and with my boots almost in +tatters. "So much," thought I, "for trying to catch a black fellow +single-handed." + +My companions had shot plenty of pigeons, after roasting which we started +for the interior of the island, and without meeting with anything beyond +the ordinary routine of bad bush and mountain travelling; certainly +encountering nothing that would justify me in inflicting a prolix +description upon the reader -- we arrived late on the following evening at +the rendezvous, found the 'Daylight' safely at anchor, and thus completed +one portion of our search, without having obtained the faintest clue to an +elucidation of the mystery of the 'Eva'. + +The pilot reported that, to the best of his belief, no blacks had succeeded +in making their escape to the mainland; several canoes had attempted to +cross, but they had been seen and intercepted, though none of their +occupants had been captured. One canoe he had taken possession of, and now +showed us, which was, I think, the most primitive piece of naval +architecture any of us had seen. Canoe it could hardly be called, for it +was only a sheet of bark curled up by the action of fire; the bow and stern +formed by folding the extremities, and passing a tree-nail, or, rather, a +large skewer, through the plaits. When placed in the water, the portion +amidships, which represented the gunwale, was not four inches above the +surface, and so frail that no European could have got into it without a +capsize, though the black fellows are so naturally endued with the laws of +equilibrium that they can stand upright in these tiny craft, and even spear +and haul on board large fish. + +We slept in the hold of the 'Daylight' that night, after making all +arrangements for a start at early dawn. We trusted that the Cleveland Bay +party would have performed their portion of the task, and thoroughly +overhauled the southern part of the island, and fully expected to fall in +with them on the following day. + +Our road lay through most abominable country -- stony, precipitous, and in +places covered with dense vegetation. The traces of blacks were abundant, +and we could travel but a short distance without falling in with some of +the numerous camping-places. In many of these, the fires were still +smouldering, but the inhabitants had cleared out, most probably warned by +those whom the whale-boat had intercepted. Each camp was subjected to a +rigid scrutiny, but without revealing anything European, except fragments +of bottles, to which we attached no importance, for they were probably +flung over-board by some passing vessel, and carried ashore by the tide. +These are highly valued by the blacks, who do not use them for carrying +water, but break them, and scrape down their spears with the fragments. + +To make a spear must be a work of many weeks' duration, when the imperfect +implements at the natives' disposal are taken into consideration. In the +first place, his missile must be perfectly straight, and of the hardest +wood; and no bough, however large, would fulfil these requirements, so it +must be cut out bodily from the stem of an iron-bark tree, and the nearer +the heart he can manage to get, the better will be his weapon. His sole +tool with which to attack a giant iron-bark is a miserable tomahawk, or +hatchet, made of stone, but little superior to the rude Celtic flint +axe-heads, that may be seen in any antiquarian's collection. These are of +a very hard stone, frequently of a greenish hue, and resembling jade; and, +having been rubbed smooth, are fitted with a handle on the same principle +that a blacksmith in England twists a hazel wand round a cold chisel. The +head, and the portion of the handle which embraces it, then receive a +plentiful coating of bees'-wax, and the weapon is ready for use. Fancy +having to chop out a solid piece of wood, nine feet long, and of +considerable depth, from a standing tree, with an instrument such as I have +described, which can never, by any possibility be brought to take an edge! +I have frequently examined the trees from which spears have been thus +excised, and the smallness of the chips testified to the length of the +tedious operation; indeed, it would be more correct to say the segment had +been bruised out than excised. Having so far achieved his task, there is +still a great deal before the black can boast of a complete spear, for the +bar is several inches in diameter, and has to be fitted down to less than +one inch. Of the use of wedges he knows nothing, so is compelled to work +away with the tomahawk, and to call in the aid of fire; and when he has +managed to reduce the spear to something approaching its proper size, he +gets a lot of oyster-shells, and with them completes the scraping, and puts +on the finishing touches. It may easily be imagined what a boon glass must +be to the savage, enabling him to do the latter part of the operation in a +tithe of the time. + +I am afraid that it is often the habit with us Australians to either +destroy or carry away as curiosities, the weapons and other little things +that the blacks manufacture, utterly regardless of the loss we thus inflict +upon them; for without his weapons the wretched native is not only +defenceless against neighbouring tribes, who would not scruple to attack +him when unarmed, but he is also literally deprived of the means of +subsistence. Without his spear, he is unable to transfix the kangaroos and +wallabies on which he so much depends for his daily food, and, robbed of +his boomerangs and nullah-nullahs, the wild duck can pass him scatheless, +and the cockatoo can scream defiance from the lofty trees. I know that +this practice of returning laden with native spoil is more frequently the +result of thoughtlessness or curiosity than anything else. The implements +appear so trumpery, that the European thinks they can be of little use to +anybody, but the bad blood thus engendered between the aborigines and the +settlers is greater than would be easily credited. Another reason, I would +venture to submit, in opposition to this custom is, that in the case of the +blacks doing any mischief, no method of punishing them can possibly be +devised equal in severity to the destruction of their weapons. A tribe is +rendered more helpless and more innocuous by this than by shooting down +half the males, and I am sure that if they once found that only in case of +mischief was this punishment resorted to, we should hear infinitely less of +cattle-spearing and shepherd-murdering than at present obtains. I mention +this, not from any good-will towards the blacks, who have been causes of +much sorrow to me and mine, but because I am sure that a discontinuance of +this idle habit would tend to lessen the existing causes of friction +between the two races. + +In one of the camps we found a blanket -- not, O reader, made of the finest +wool, deftly woven at the looms of Witney, but a blanket of Dame Nature's +own contrivance, stripped by the aboriginal from the bark of the Australian +tea-tree ('Melaleuca squarrosa'), no small shrub, but a noble fellow +standing from 150 to 200 feet high, and generally found in the +neighbourhood of fresh water, or in the beds of creeks. The bark of this +tree is of great thickness, and composed of a series of layers, each of +which can be easily separated from its neighbours, and, in fact, much +resembling a new book, just issued from the hot-press of the binder. From +a portion of this -- the inner skins, I imagine -- the blacks manage to +make a flexible, though not over warm, covering for the winter nights, or +for the newly-born piccaninnies. The whole of the process I am not +acquainted with, but from all I could gather from Lizzie, the bark is +stripped in a large sheet at the end of the rainy season, the inner cuticle +of several leaves carefully separated from the remainder, and placed in +fresh water, weighted with heavy stones to retain it in its position. +After the lapse of a certain time, known only to the initiated, it is taken +out, hung up to dry, and at a peculiar stage, before all the moisture has +evaporated, it is laid on a flat rock, and cautiously beaten with smooth +round stones, which operation opens out the web sufficiently to make it +quite pliant, after which it is allowed to dry thoroughly, and is then +ready for use. These vegetable blankets are very strong, and must be a +great protection to the naked savages, but, despite the ease with which +they can be obtained, and the small time and labour occupied in their +preparation, but few of the gins have them, and none of the men. + +We also found several fish-hooks of a most peculiar shape, and made out of +a curious material. In shape they were like a circular key-ring, with a +segment of exactly one-third cut out. One end was ground sharp, and to the +other was attached the line, cleverly spun from the tea-tree bark. Now, of +all shapes to drive a Limerick hook-maker to despair, none, one would +think, could have been invented better than this, for the odds are +certainly ten to one against its penetrating any portion of a fish, even +though he should have gorged it. The material of which these quaint hooks +are made is tortoise or turtle shell, for both tortoises and turtles abound +on this coast, the former frequenting the fresh-water creeks and lagoons, +and the latter the sea. Whether they were cut out of the solid, or whether +a strip was soaked, bent, and then dried in the sun until it became firmly +set in the required shape, I never could ascertain, but most probably the +former plan was adopted. + +The whole island seemed to teem with game, and had we been able to fire, we +should speedily have made a good bag, but this we dared not do, so I made a +mental resolve to return at some future time and make amends for this +enforced restraint. At nearly every step, we put up some bird or beast +strange to European eyes. + +I have no doubt it is known to most of my readers that Australia is +destitute of 'Ferae' proper, and that elephants, lions, tigers, etc., are +unknown. They will also know that the kangaroos are marsupial animals; +that is to say, the females have a peculiar pouch for their young, which +are born in a far less advanced state than the young of other animals. But +perhaps it is not so generally known that, with two or three exceptions, +such as the dingo or native dog, the platypus, and several species of bats, +the 'whole' of the animals on the continent are marsupial. The brains of +this species are very small, and they sadly lack intelligence, in which +respect they exhibit a wonderful affinity to the aboriginals who live by +their capture. + +[ILLUSTRATION -- GROUP OF KANGAROOS.] + +Of kangaroos there are more than thirty different kinds, but the English +are now so well acquainted with this curious animal that it needs no +description. There are two things about it, however, that I may with +propriety here point out -- viz., the use of the pouch, and the various +ways in which the kangaroo is serviceable to the settler. The average size +of the ordinary female kangaroo is about six feet, counting from the nose +to the tip of the tail; and, marvellous though it may appear, the young +kangaroo, at its birth, is but little over an inch in length, having a +vague kind of shape, certainly, but otherwise soft, semi-transparent, and +completely helpless. Now the pouch comes into use. The little creature is +conveyed there by the mother's lips, and immediately attaches itself to one +of the nipples, which are retractile, and capable of being drawn out to a +considerable length. Thus constantly attached to its parent, it waxes +bigger daily. From two to eight months of age it still continues an +inhabitant of its curious cradle, but now often protrudes its little head +to take an observation of the world at large, and to nibble the grass +amongst which its mother is feeding. Sometimes it has a little run by +itself, but seeks the maternal bosom at the slightest intimation of danger. +It quits the pouch for good when it can crop the herbage freely; but even +now it will often poke its head into its early home and get a little +refreshment on the sly, even though a new-comer may have succeeded to its +place. + + + +AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY -- III. + +BY CHARLES H. EDEN. + + +A FULL-GROWN "paddy melon," a small and beautiful species of kangaroo, +bearing the same resemblance to the "boomer" that a Cingalese mouse-deer +does to an elk, was once given to me as a pet, and we became great friends. +Whenever I went into the room and opened my shirt or coat, the little +fellow would bound in and coil himself snugly away for hours, if permitted; +thus showing, I think that he still retained a recollection of the snug +abode of his childhood. Like most pets, he came to an untimely end -- in +fact, met with the fate that ultimately befalls all the members of his +tribe who are domesticated and allowed to run about the bush huts in +Australia. The fireplaces are large recesses in the wall, and on the same +level as the floor. Wood only is burnt, and large heaps of glowing ashes +accumulate, for the fire never really goes out, by night or day. As long +as it is blazing, the pet kangaroo will keep his distance, but when it has +sunk down to living coals, his foolish curiosity is sure to impel him, +sooner or later, to jump right into the thick of it; and then -- and here +his want of brains is painfully shown -- instead of jumping out again at +once, he commences fighting and spurring the burning embers with his hind +feet, and, as a natural sequence, is either found half roasted, or so +injured that his death is inevitable + +The uses to which the settler puts this animal are many. He has to take +the place of the stag when any hunting is going on (as the dingo has to act +for the fox); and most remarkably good sport an "old man" or "boomer" -- as +the full-grown males are called -- will afford; and most kangaroo dogs bear +witness, by cruel scars, how keen a gash he can inflict with his sharp hind +claw when brought to bay. From ten to twelve miles is by no means an +unusual run, and when thoroughly exhausted he makes a stand, either with +his back against a tree, or in the water. In both of these positions he is +no despicable adversary, and will do much damage to a pack of hounds, by +grasping them in his short fore arms and ripping them open, if on land; or +by seizing and holding them under, if in the water. Instances are on +record of a despairing kangaroo dashing through the dogs on the approach of +a dismounted hunter, and severely wounding him. The common practice when +the animal is brought to bay is to ride up and pistol him. But, however he +may be killed, his useful qualities have by no means departed with his +breath. His skin, properly cured, will make good door-mats, boots, +saddle-cloths, stock-whips, gaiters, and numberless other useful articles. +His long and heavy tail is much valued for the soup it yields; and the hams +can be cured, and, thus preserved, find many admirers. The hind-quarters +of a large "boomer" will run little short of seventy pounds; and, with the +tail, form the only parts commonly eaten by Europeans. + +The birds that we encountered were of every form and size; pigeons, some +coloured like parrots, others diminutive as sparrows, and of the same +sombre hue: pheasants, quail, every kind of feathered fowl that could +gladden the heart of the sportsman, were found in abundance, and amongst +these the scrub turkey and its nest. This latter bird is so little known, +that I am tempted to give a short account of it. + +The Australian scrub turkey ('Tallegalla Lathami') is common in all the +thick jungles in the north of Queensland, and, though smaller than the +domestic bird, is sufficiently like it to be easily recognised, having the +same wattle, and neck denuded of feathers. The most remarkable feature +about this turkey is its nest, which is composed of sand, leaves, and +sticks, piled up into a great mound three feet or so in height, and ten or +more in diameter. This enormous mass is not the unaided work of one pair, +but of a whole colony, and the material is got together by the bird +grasping a quantity in its foot, and throwing it behind him; the ground in +the immediate vicinity of the mound is thus entirely stripped of every +blade of grass,or fallen leaf. In process of time, the heap partially +decomposes, and when the female judges that enough heat has been engendered +to serve her purpose, she proceeds to lay her eggs. These are enormous +when compared with the size of the bird, and are not simply deposited and +covered over, but buried at a depth of eighteen or twenty inches, each egg +nearly a foot from its neighbour, and standing on end, with the larger half +uppermost. Thus they remain until hatched, though how the bird manages to +plant them with such dexterity has, I believe, never been ascertained; no +one yet having been sufficiently lucky to witness the proceeding. Directly +the little birds chip the shell, they run about with the greatest agility, +and their capture is exceedingly difficult. A nest with freshly-laid eggs +is a glorious find, for several dozen are frequently extracted, and are +most delicious eating. + +The evening was fast approaching, when we camped for the night by the side +of a nice clear water-hole in a sequestered valley, and, after bathing and +having tea, we tried our luck at fishing, for these holes are sometimes +full of eels. We prospered, and soon had several fine fellows on the bank, +from whence they were speedily transferred to the hot ashes, and roasted in +their integrity; they were thus spared the skinning, to which, it is +averred, custom has habituated them. Ferdinand and Cato were collecting +firewood for the night, for, in the position we had selected, we were not +afraid of making a good blaze, and we were sitting and lounging round the +fire, conjecturing what had become of all the blacks, and how soon we +should fall in with the other party, when Lizzie -- who had accompanied the +troopers -- came rushing back, and said: -- + +"One fellow snake been bit 'em Cato; plenty that fellow go bong (dead) +by-and-by, mine believe." + +We all jumped up, and sure enough, poor Cato came slowly towards us, +looking the ashy-grey colour to which fear turns the black, and followed by +Ferdinand, who dragged after him a large black snake, the author of the +mischief. + +If Australia is exempt from wild beasts, the number of venomous reptiles +with which it is cursed make it as dangerous to the traveller as other +tropical countries in which ferocious animals abound. Hardly a tree or a +shrub can be found that does not contain or conceal some stinging +abomination. The whole of these are not, of course, deadly, but a +tarantula bite, or a centipede sting, will cripple a strong man for weeks, +while a feeble constitution stands a fair chance of succumbing. But of all +these pests, none can equal the snakes, which not only swarm, but seem to +have no fear of man, selecting dwellings by choice for an abode. These +horrible reptiles are of all sizes, from the large carpet snake of twenty +feet, to the little rock viper of scarcely half a dozen inches. The great +majority of these are venomous, and are of too many different kinds for me +to attempt their enumeration here. The most common with us were the brown, +black, and whip snakes, and the death-adder, all poisonous; and the +carpet-snake, harmless. The brown and black snakes run from two to eight +feet in length, frequent the long grass, chiefly in the neighbourhood of +swamps, and from the snug way in which they coil up, and their +disinclination to move, are highly dangerous. The latter is very handsome, +the back of a brilliant black, and the under portion of a sea-shell pink. +Their skin is sometimes used by bushmen as a cover to their waistbelts, +which are much beautified thereby. The whip-snakes are of all sizes and of +all colours; in fact, under this name the colonists include all the slender +climbing snakes, so many of which inhabit Australia. In my opinion, these +are the worst; for they come boldly into your room in search of warmth, and +may be found stowed away in a boot, or under the pillow, or in any place +where they are least expected. Last and worst of our venomous snakes comes +the death, or deaf, adder, for it is called indiscriminately by both names, +and amply justifies either prefix. The hideous reptile is very thick and +stumpy in proportion to its length, which rarely exceeds two feet, whilst +its circumference may be put down at one-fifth of its total measurement. +The tail is terminated by a small curved spike, which is commonly regarded +as the sting; but though when touched it doubles up, and strikes with this +horn, as well as bites, I do not think the tail does any material damage, +but this opinion one would find it difficult to make a bushman credit. I +once saw a man take a death-adder up -- quite unintentionally, you may be +sure -- between two shingles, and it immediately struck backwards with both +head and tail, the two extremities luckily meeting above his hand. From +the sluggish habits of this reptile, it is popularly accounted deaf, and it +seems quite unalarmed even by the report of a gun. You may walk over it a +dozen times, as it lies basking in the sun, usually in the most frequented +part of the road, and it will take not the slightest notice, but if +touched, however gently, it bites at once. + +When I first went to Cardwell, I was talking about death-adders, and the +naive remark made by one of the inhabitants amused and at the same time +rather terrified me, for the perfect knowledge he exhibited of the reptiles +showed plainly how common they were there. + +"Nasty things," he said, "but Lord, they won't hurt you. Best not try to +get one alive into a bottle, though. I tried that little game on, with a +pickle-jar and a stick, but I couldn't get him in, and he doubled up and +very nearly bit me; his tail just grazed my hand as it was." + +I thanked my informant, and assured him from the bottom of my heart, that +whenever I 'did' try to coax a death-adder into a bottle, I would benefit +by his experience and use the greatest caution. + +The eye of this snake is remarkable for its vivid yellow, crossed by a +black longitudinal pupil. The colour of the body is a mixture of dull +hues, and the abdomen pinkish; the head broad, thick, flattened, and its +'tout ensemble' hideously repulsive. But I am digressing, and leaving poor +Cato still uncared for. + +The snake, which was a very large one, had been laid hold of by the boy in +the imperfect light, and had instantly bitten him in the wrist, on which +the punctures of the fangs were plainly visible. A handkerchief was at +once tied round the wounded limb, with a small pebble so placed as to +compress the brachial artery inside the forearm, and with the iron ramrod +from a carbine as a lever, we screwed this rough tourniquet up until the +circulation was in great measure cut off. Luckily Dunmore had a +pocket-knife with him, for the sheath-knives we carried were but rude +instruments for surgery, and with the small blade he slashed the bitten +part freely, while Lizzie, applying her lips to the wound, did her best to +draw out the subtle venom. Some of us carried flasks, containing various +spirits, and the contents of these were at once mixed -- brandy, rum, +hollands, all indiscriminately -- in a quart pot, and tossed off by the +sufferer, without the slightest visible effect. Had the spirit taken the +smallest hold upon him, we should have felt hope, for if a man suffering +from snake-bite can be made intoxicated, he is safe. But the poison +neutralised the potent draught, and poor Cato showed no indication of +having swallowed anything stronger than water. With the superstition +inherent in the blacks, he had made up his mind to die, and his broken +English, as he moaned out, "Plenty soon this fellow go bong," was painful +in the extreme. + +"It's no use," said Dunmore. "I know these fellows better than any of you, +and Cato will never recover. I had a boy down on the Mary River, who was +knocked down with low fever. Half a pennyweight of quinine would have put +him to rights, but he had made up his mind to die, and when once they have +done that, all the drugs in a doctor's shop won't do them any good." + +Everything we could think of was proposed, but speedily rejected as useless. + +"Pour a charge of powder on the wound," said Jack Clarke, "and then fire +it, that will take the part out clean enough;" but we agreed that it would +be putting the boy to unnecessary pain, for the poison must be already in +the system and beyond the reach of local remedy; and the patient had become +drowsy, and repeatedly begged to be left alone and allowed to go to sleep. + +"We must walk him about," said Dunmore, "it is the only chance, and painful +as it is, I must have it done. Remember, I'm responsible for the boy, and +no means must be left untried." + +I had withdrawn a little from the group, and as I stood some distance off, +outside the circle of light thrown by the fire, I could not help thinking +what a scene for the painter's brush was here presented. The dark outline +of the lofty gums looked black and forbidding as funeral plumes, against +the leaden sky. The rugged range starting up in the rear, cast a +threatening gloom over the little valley in which we were encamped, and the +distant thunder of a falling torrent could, with little effort, be +interpreted as a dull voice of warning from the mountain. The fitful glare +of the fire, now sinking, now rising as a fresh brand was added, threw a +ruddy glare over the actors in this strange scene; showing the hopeless +face of the poor patient, the undemonstrative countenances of his sable +companions, and the anxious air apparent in the white men, more +particularly in Dunmore, as he knelt over his follower, and tried to +inspirit a little hope by dwelling on the chances of recovery. The +fantastic dresses, and the wildness of the spot, all combined to add a +weird aspect to the group; and recalled forcibly to the mind those scenes +of Pyrenean robber-life, so faithfully portrayed by the magic pencil of +Salvator Rosa. + +But drowsiness was fast closing the eyes of poor Cato, and, as the last +chance, we compelled him to walk about, despite his piteous prayers for +repose. It soon became evident that our labour was thrown away, for he +dropped heavily down from between the two men who were supporting him, and +no power could induce him to rise. A heavy stertorous sleep overwhelmed +him, his breath came gradually slower and slower, and about two hours from +the time of the accident, poor Cato passed away, peacefully and without +pain. + +Can no antidote be discovered for this virulent poison? Empirics are +common who profess to cure snake-bites, but I doubt if they ever really +succeed. It is beyond all question that in the early days of Australia, +and whilst this beautiful continent was held by Great Britain as nothing +more than a useful place for the safe custody of her criminal classes, a +convict named Underwood discovered a remedy for snake-bite, and in many +cases treated it successfully. The story has by no means died out in the +colonies, of the good old laws of brutal terrorism, under which, when a +bitten man was brought to Underwood, the latter proceeded to apply his +remedy, stimulated by the pleasing threat of a severe flogging, should his +treatment be of no avail. He appears to have been a man of great firmness +of purpose, for he never could be betrayed into divulging his secret, +though many unworthy means were resorted to for that end. The utmost that +he would acknowledge was that the antidote was common, and that Australians +trampled it under-foot every day of their lives. The way he became +acquainted with the remedy was by accidentally witnessing a fight between a +snake and an iguana. The latter was frequently bitten, and in every case +ran to a certain plant and ate it before renewing the contest, in which it +was ultimately victorious, leaving the serpent dead upon the plain. +Underwood demanded his pardon and liberty as the price of his precious +knowledge, and I believe a mixed commission of military men and civilians +deliberated on the case at Sydney, and decided not to grant the convict's +request. In due time he died, and with him perished his invaluable secret. +It is to be presumed the commission knew what they were about, but +undoubtedly their adverse decision has been a real misfortune to all those +whose lives are passed in a country inhabited by venomous reptiles. We are +much indebted to Doctor Fagren for the exhaustive researches he has made +into the action of snake-poison and its remedy -- the result of which the +reader can find in his elaborately got-up volume, entitled "The +Thanatophidia of India" -- and on looking over the concise directions given +by him for immediate use in the event of such an accident, I do not see +that we could possibly have done more than we did, considering the limited +material we had at our command. Perhaps, had it been a white man, with a +strong constitution, he would have pulled through; for the settled +conviction that he was doomed, doubtless accelerated the death of the black +boy; but the action of the poison is so rapid, that most cases terminate +fatally. Two instances I know of, in which the patient recovered. The +first was an Irish labourer, who whilst reaping took up a snake, which bit +him in the finger. He walked at once to the fence, put his hand on a post, +and severed the wounded member with his sickle. Irishman-like, he forgot +to move the sound fingers out of the way, and two of them shared the fate +of their injured companion. Paddy walked into the nearest township, had +his wounds dressed, and felt no inconvenience from the venom. Under the +soubriquet of "Three-fingered Tim," this individual may frequently be met +with at Sydney, and, for a glass of grog, will be delighted to recount the +whole affair, with the richest of Milesian brogues. The second case was +that of a woman. She was going from the hut to the fireplace, when she +trod on a snake, which bit her just below the joint of the little toe; for, +like Coleridge's Christabel -- + +"Her blue-veined feet unsandall'd were." + +She was in a terrible position; her husband, and the other man for whom she +acted as hut-keeper, had both gone out with their flocks some hours +previously, and there was nobody about but a poor half-witted lad, who hung +about the place doing odd jobs. She was a resolute woman, and made up her +mind how to act, in far less time than it takes me to set it down on paper. +Coo-ehing for the lad, she went into the hut, and came out again with a +sharp tomahawk and an axe. + +"Take this," she said, handing the latter to the boy, "and strike hard on +the back of it when I tell you." + +Thus speaking, she placed her foot on a log of wood, adjusted the keen edge +of the tomahawk so that when struck it would sever the toe and the portion +of the foot containing the bite, and, holding the handle of the tomahawk +steady as a rock, with firm determination gave the words -- + +"Now, Jim, strike!" + +It needed three blows from the back of the axe to complete the operation, +for the poor lad grew frightened at the sight of the blood; but the +undaunted woman encouraged him, nerved him to a fresh trial, and guided the +tomahawk as coolly as if she were cutting up a piece of beef, until the +shocking task was completed. With Jim's assistance, she then bound up the +foot to arrest the bleeding, and, accompanied by him, rode ten miles into +the township, and, need I say, in due course recovered. + +In these instances the reader will see that the measures taken were both +prompt, and such as would require more nerve than is possessed by the +ordinary run of mortals. In the above cases, also, the bitten part was +capable of being removed; but for a bite on the wrist, had such an extreme +measure as immediate dismemberment been performed, the cure would have been +as fatal as the disease. + +Poor Dunmore was terribly cut up at the premature death of his follower; +Lizzie, having smothered her head with fluffy feathers from some cockatoos +that had been roasted for supper, employed herself in chanting a most weird +kind of dirge over the body, to which she beat a species of accompaniment +on the bottom of a pint pot; while Ferdinand, by Dunmore's directions, had +set to work to strip a sheet of bark off a tea-tree, to act as a rude +coffin. A great difficulty now presented itself, for we had no tools +whatever, and how could we dig a grave? In such hard ground, knives would +make no impression, and the body must be buried deeply, or it would be +rooted up by the dingoes, whose howl we could plainly hear around us, as +they bayed at the moon. We spread ourselves out in different directions, +in the hope of finding some rift or recess that would answer the purpose, +but in the imperfect light, we failed to discover anything, so were +compelled to wait for dawn. I do not think any of us slept much. One of +our little party suddenly snatched away in so unforeseen a manner, gave us +all food for reflection -- for which of us knew that the same fate would +not befall him to-morrow? When I dropped off into a slumber, it was so +light and broken, that I seemed to be conscious of Lizzie, continuing her +melancholy drone, and battering monotonously on the tin pannikin, nor was I +surprised when in the morning I ascertained that such had really been her +occupation all night; for the purpose of keeping the body from harm, she +avowed, but, I am inclined to think, much more from fear of sleeping in the +neighbourhood of a dead body, for the blacks are dreadfully superstitious, +and frightened to death of ghosts. + +At daylight we were lucky enough to find a tree that had been blown down in +the late hurricane, leaving a hollow where its roots had been torn out of +the ground. In this natural grave we laid the poor trooper, wrapped in his +bark shell, and, having raised a pile of stones upon the spot, of such +dimensions as to preclude the probability of the body being disturbed by +dingoes, we went on our way, silent and melancholy. + + + +AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY -- IV. + +BY CHARLES H. EDEN. + + +OUR next day was a repetition of the last; camps in abundance, but no +blacks, and we had as yet seen no signs of the Townsville party. At night +we camped by the side of a large creek, and, after supper, were lying down, +with the intention of making up for the broken slumbers of the previous +night, when Ferdinand, who had moved higher up the stream to get a private +eel for himself and his lady, came back and shook Dunmore, saying -- + +"Many big fellow fire sit down up creek." + +We were on our feet in a moment, and, stealing quietly through the bush, +soon saw the glare, and on our nearer approach, could make out many +recumbent figures round the fire, and one man passing to and fro, on guard. + +"By Jove! it's the Cleveland Bay mob," said Dunmore; "we must take care +they don't fire into us. Lie down, or get behind trees, all you fellows, +and I'll hail them." + +"Holloa there!" he cried, when we had all "planted" (in Australian parlance +signifying "concealed") ourselves. "Don't fire, we're Cardwellites!" + +In a moment the sentry's rifle was at his shoulder, pointed in the +direction whence the voice came; but it was my old friend Abiram Hills, +ex-mayor of Bowen, a thorough bushman, and possessed of great nerve, whose +turn it then happened to be to keep watch over his slumbering companions. +As quickly as it had been raised, his rifle fell into the hollow of his +arm, and shouting out, "Get up, you fellows, here are the Rockingham +Bayers!" he rushed forward, and in a moment was shaking hands with Dunmore, +while the sleepers, uncertain whether it was an alarm, stood rubbing their +eyes, and handling their carbines so ominously as they peered into the +darkness, that we deemed it the best policy to remain under cover until +their faculties had grasped the fact that we were not enemies, and as such +to be slain incontinently. + +It is a startling thing to be hailed suddenly in the silence of the bush, +and had a less experienced sentry than Abiram been on guard, he would most +likely have fired. We had also before our eyes the case of a party who not +long before had gone out to chastise the blacks, and having split into two +divisions, opened a brisk fire upon each other when they drew near again, +luckily without effect. Some of these warriors we knew to be amongst +ourselves, so it behoved us to exercise caution. + +Our greeting was most cordial, and we were soon all assembled round the +fire -- now blazing up with fresh fuel -- smoking the pipe of peace, which +we moistened with a modicum of grog from the well-filled flasks of the +Cleveland Bayers, and comparing notes, previous to making our plans for the +morrow. Like ourselves, they had found plenty of camps, but not a living +creature in them; and they were as perplexed as we were as to what had +become of their occupants. On their way up from Townsville, they had seen +smoke-signals thrown up from the mangroves at the mouth of the Herbert +River, and these were answered both from the range behind Cardwell, and +from Hinchinbrook, so it was evident there were blacks on the island, +though most likely concealed in some of the hidden valleys, which, from the +volcanic nature of the country, were so plentiful, and so difficult to find. + +Lizzie was now brought forward, and subjected to a most rigid +cross-examination, with which I will not trouble the reader. She said that +they must have crossed over to the main-land, for every place had now been +searched. We were in despair, when Abiram Hills said -- + +"Baal bora ground been sit down along of Hinchinbrook, Lizzie?" + +A "bora ground" is a particular place to which the blacks are in the habit +of resorting at certain seasons of the year, to hold "corroborries" or +dances, and also to perform divers mysterious rites on the young people of +both sexes attaining the marriageable age. What these solemnities really +are, is but little known, and they seem to differ widely in each tribe. In +some, the young girls have a couple of front teeth knocked out; in others +they lose a joint of the little finger; and at that time the hideous lumps +with which the men embellish their bodies must be raised. These curious +ornaments are formed by cutting gashes in the flesh three-quarters of an +inch long, and stuffing the wound with mud, which prevents the edges from +adhering, and when the skin grows over, leaves a lump like an almond. The +number, proximity, and pattern of these adornments are according to the +peculiar tastes of the family, and vary considerably, but the breast, back, +shoulders, and arms are usually pretty thickly sown, giving the appearance +of a number of fresh graves, placed close together in a black soil field. + +[ILLUSTRATION -- "NATIVE AUSTRALIAN."] + +Abiram's question was one of those lucky inspirations that sometimes strike +one, changing, as by magic, obscurity into distinctness, and pouring in a +flood of light where no ray could be seen before. + +"My word!" -- cried Lizzie, her whole face lighting up with eagerness and +joy -- "my word, close up mine been forget. Mine know one fellow bora +ground, plenty black fellow sit down there, mine believe. My word, plenty +d--d fooly me!" + +We could see from the girl's face that we were now on the right scent, and +having ascertained that she could take us to the "bora ground" by the +following evening, we finished our pipes, and lay down to sleep, thankful +for what promised a possible solution of the mystery. + +The Cleveland Bay party consisted of seven white men and two black boys, so +we now mustered a strong force. Lizzie would hardly allow us time to +swallow our breakfast, so impatient was she to be under weigh; and one +wretched man, lingering for a moment later than the rest of us, over a +slice of beef and damper, found himself the object of general attention, +when our little guide stamped her foot, and, trembling with indignation, +said -- + +"Plenty big bingey (belly) that fellow. Baal he been fill 'em like 'it +sundown!" + +The travelling was worse than ever now; up and down steep ravines in which +the tangled scrub grew so thickly that progress was almost impossible, and +we were compelled to wade along the bed of the creek; now tripping over a +sharp ledge of rock, now floundering up to the waistbelt in a treacherous +hole; past the base of a beautiful waterfall, where the action of the +torrent had worn a hollow basin in the rock, in which it sparkled, cool, +transparent, and prismatic, in the rays of the burning sun, and where the +view, so unlike the generality of Australian scenery, was perfectly +bewitching; on, through more scrub, through swamps, and over stiff +mountains, wet, draggled, moody, and cross, crawling along after the little +black figure in front, that held steadily on its way, as though hunger and +fatigue were to it things unknown. + +At length, about three o'clock in the afternoon, we found ourselves in a +sort of natural funnel in the rock, the end of which grew narrower and +narrower as it wound about in curious curves. + +"Close up now," said Lizzie, "water sit down along of other side; baal +black fellow get away." + +We halted for a few minutes to get breath, and to steady ourselves, and +then, keeping close together, stepped out of the gloomy passage into the +broad daylight. It was a beautiful sight. The "bora ground" had been +selected in a miniature bay, of about three acres in extent, closed in by +perpendicular rocks, and attainable only by boat, or by the passage through +which we had just arrived. In this secluded spot a quantity of coca-nut +palms were growing, waifs, carried there by the ocean from the distant +South Sea Islands, fructifying and multiplying on the hospitable shore, and +shielded from the tomahawk of the native, on account of the shelter they +afforded his mysterious retreat. Under the palms stood several conical +huts, or lodges, of considerable dimensions, used, I presume, on state +occasions for the deliberations of the elder warriors. But the thing most +pleasing to our eyes, was the sight of some two hundred natives, of both +sexes, and all ages, who now started to their feet, with wild cries of +alarm, and motions expressive of the utmost terror, at this sudden invasion +of their retreat by the dreaded white man. + +Some of the blacks flew to arms at once, and stood with poised spears in a +menacing attitude, whilst the gins and piccaninnies cowered together on the +beach. We had our carbines in hand, cocked, and prepared to defend +ourselves in the event of hostilities, which we earnestly hoped to avoid. +Lizzie, who had at last begun to understand that slaughter was not our +object, and who had been reconciled to our tame proceedings by the promise +of much finery, now advanced towards the threatening natives and made a +speech in their own language, to the effect that we wished to do them no +harm, beyond ascertaining whether there were any whites among them, though, +if we found murder had been committed, we should discover the perpetrators, +hold them answerable, and punish them. Rewards were offered for any +information that would lead to a knowledge of the real fate of the +shipwrecked crew, and an exaggerated estimate of our strength, and the +capability of our firearms, was given by our interpreter, on her own +account, and was perfectly intelligible to us from the signs and +gesticulations she made, and the scorn with which she pointed to the rude +weapons of her country-men; for the intrepid little girl had marched +fearlessly up to the group of warriors. + +After delivering her speech, Lizzie withdrew to us, and we waited, rather +anxiously, the turn that affairs would take; for a peaceful solution would +be far preferable to a fight, in which, though we must ultimately be the +victors, yet success would only be achieved at considerable loss of life, +probably on both sides. + +Whilst matters rested thus, and the blacks were holding an animated +discussion, one of the troopers espied a solitary dingo on the rocks +overlooking the "bora ground," and distant from us about fifty yards. +Lizzie at once said -- + +"Suppose you shoot 'em that fellow dingo, plenty that frighten black fellow." + +"By Jove, Lizzie, what a good idea!" we said. "Who's the best shot; for it +will be fatal to miss?" + +"Let your boy fire," said Abiram, "it will astonish them much more if they +see it done by a black; and let Lizzie warn them of what is going to take +place." + +"You believe you shoot 'em that fellow dingo?" asked Dunmore of Ferdinand. + +"Your (yes), marmy, mine believe." + +"Plenty big glass of rum, suppose you shoot 'em bony (dead)," added Abiram. + +The trooper's eyes glistened, and he licked his lips as if the spirit were +already won. + +Meanwhile Lizzie had told her countrymen to watch the dog, and they would +see him killed, and the blacks stood straining their eyes at the doomed +dingo, who, with pricked ears and drooping tail, stood motionless against +the sky-line, intently surveying the unusual scene beneath, and wondering +probably how soon he should get the relics of the roasted fish, whose +fragrant odour had assailed his nostrils, and drawn him into his present +position. + +It was a moment of intense suspense while the trooper raised his carbine -- +slowly and deliberately; no hurry, not even the quiver of a muscle, for his +mind was on the rum, and he recked little of the moral influence of a +successful shot; -- we drew a long breath of relief as the weapon flashed +forth, and the dog, making a convulsive bound forward, fell stone dead at +the foot of the rocks, where it was instantly surrounded by the awestruck +savages, who carefully examined the body, and thrust their fingers into the +bullet-hole, for the ball had passed clean through the animal, just behind +the shoulder-blade. + +The trooper first loaded his empty barrel, and then twitching Abiram by the +sleeve, whispered, "You give 'em rum now. Plenty you make him strong, mine +believe." His task was accomplished, and that the reward should +immediately follow was with him a natural consequence. + +Ferdinand's shot and Lizzie's eloquence had, however, rid us of all further +trouble. The blacks laid down their arms, and expressed themselves quite +willing to assist us in any way. They vehemently denied having seen any +white men, but acknowledged that some had been heard of on the Macalister +River, and thought they were detained by the tribes inhabiting its banks. +They were cognizant of our expedition up the Herbert, and knew that we were +searching Hinchinbrook, but never thought we should have found them in +their present position. + +It was now evident that further search on Hinchinbrook was useless. There +was no reason to doubt the truth of what they told us, for Lizzie would +have gathered information had there been any outrage, or some small piece +of rag or blanket would have betrayed them. That the unfortunate men might +be on the Macalister was not improbable, and thither we must bend our +steps, as the last resource. If we were unsuccessful then, we could only +conclude that the vessel had foundered at sea, and we should have the +melancholy satisfaction of knowing that we had done everything in our power +to rescue the sufferers. + +We camped for the night at one extremity of the little bay, while the +natives occupied the other, in which there was a well sunk, where we +supplied ourselves with fresh water. We soon became on friendly terms with +our wild neighbours, but took care never to linger amongst them singly, and +always had our weapons ready for immediate use. + +In the evening Lizzie came over from the blacks' camp, where she had been +holding a great palaver, and asked us if we should like to see a +"corroborrie," or dance; and much pleased at getting a glimpse of the +native customs, and glad of anything to break the monotony of our lives, we +followed her to the group of palms, and there took up our positions to +watch the proceedings. A tremendous fire was soon flaming on the beach, +near it the gins and piccaninnies assembled, with bits of stick, clubs, and +calabashes, on which to beat time. Some thirty of the men then stood up, +armed with spears, tomahawks, nullah-nullahs (war-clubs), and boomerangs, +and commenced a series of ludicrous antics, to a most melancholy dirge +chanted by the women, a kind of rude time being observed. Gradually, +however, they grew excited, and worked themselves up by going through a +sort of mock fight; and when at the last the women danced round them with +torches, all howling and shrieking at the top of their voices, and banging +the calabashes with kangaroo bones or anything that would add to the noise, +the whole scene reminded one of the infernal regions broken loose. This +lasted an hour, at the end of which time we withdrew, after expressing +ourselves highly gratified, and the whole camp was shortly buried in +repose. We kept double sentries, but we might all have gone to sleep, for +there was no symptom of treachery. At daylight we had breakfast; gave the +warriors and gins a few trifling things we could spare, such as knives, two +or three blankets -- for we hoped to reach the township that night -- and, +wonder of wonders to the savages, some matches (nearly all of which they +expended in verifying the fact that they would go off), and then took our +departure from the "bora ground," guided by a native, who showed a very +short way, unknown to Lizzie, by which we arrived at the 'Daylight' early +in the afternoon, to find that the latter had been joined by the 'Black +Prince', the steamer that had brought up the Cleveland Bay party. We +quitted in our little craft for Cardwell, and the Townsville men went south +in their steamer, intending to get some shooting at the Palm Islands before +going home for good. Eleven o'clock that evening saw us at our township, +fully determined to carry out the work thoroughly by searching the +Macalister River, an account of which I hope to give in a future chapter. + + + +AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY -- V. + +BY CHAS H. EDEN. + + +HOW WE EXPLORED THE MACALISTER RIVER. + +The reader who has been good enough to follow me so far, will see that +hitherto our efforts had been unattended with the slightest success, and +that the fate of the missing schooner and her living freight still +remained buried in the deepest mystery. To say that we were not +disheartened by our numerous disappointments would be untrue, for we +well knew that each closing day rendered our chances of affording relief +to the survivors more and more difficult; so much so, in fact, that at +the council assembled to discuss the matter in the large dining-room of the +hotel, several voices urged the expediency of abandoning any further +attempts. Much valuable time, they remarked, had been already expended by +men to whom time represented money, nay more -- the means of living. Their +own avocations imperiously demanded their presence, and although they were +the last men in the world to desert their fellow-beings in extremity, +still, in a country where every man lived by the sweat of his own brow, +self-interest could not be entirely sacrificed. + +[ILLUSTRATION -- AUSTRALIANS IN CAMP.] + +Even we, who were most anxious to organise another expedition, could not +but acknowledge that the searchers had much justice on their side; but when +we were discussing matters in rather a despondent tone, a new ally came to +the front in the person of Jack Clarke, the horse-breaker. + +"Where do you propose going next?" he asked Dunmore. + +"We must search the ranges at the back of the township first, and another +party must go up the Macalister River," was the reply. + +"Need both parties start at the same time?" + +"The chances of success would, of course, be greater if they did," replied +the officer, "but still it is not absolutely necessary." + +"Well," said Jack, "suppose you take the pilot boat, and go up the river, +which will take much longer to explore than the ranges; and, at the end of +a week, we shall have got our own affairs pretty straight, and will beat +all the country at the back, and join you on the Macalister. What do you +think of that, mates?" he added, turning to the company. "Won't that suit +us all?" + +"Capitally!" was echoed from every side, and after sundry drinks the party +broke up; Dunmore and I hastening to make immediate preparations for our +new trip. + +The Macalister River was at this time most imperfectly known; for, lying to +the extreme north of Rockingham Bay, its fertile banks had hitherto +attracted little or no attention; the great sugar industry being then +comparatively in its infancy in Queensland. A dangerous bar at its mouth, +over which heavy rollers were always breaking, made pleasure-seekers rather +shy of attempting its entry, more particularly as the muddy mangrove flats +held out small hope of aught save mosquitoes and blacks. Since then the +sugar-cane has become one of the chief sources of wealth to the colony, +and, in the search for land adapted to its growth, the Macalister was not +likely to remain long in obscurity. Along its beautiful banks were +discovered many thousands of acres of magnificent black soil country, +without a stick of timber to impede the plough, over which a furrow, miles +in length, could have been turned without an inch of deviation being +necessary. + +Where the wretched bark 'gunyah' of the native stood, is now found the +well-finished house of the planter; and where the savage pastimes of the +'bora' ground once obtained, and the smoke from cannibal fires curled +slowly upwards to the blue vault of heaven, is heard the cheerful ring of +the blacksmith's hammer, the crack of the bullock-whip, as the team moves +slowly onward beneath the weight of seven-feet canes, and the measured +throb of machinery from the factory, where the crushed plant is yielding up +its sweets between the inexorable iron crushers. In this, our newest +world, improvements when once set afoot, proceed with marvellous celerity, +and a turn of Fortune's wheel may in a single year convert a howling +wilderness into a flourishing township. But I find myself digressing +again, and resisting rambling thoughts, must revert to our preparations for +the morrow. + +[Illustrations KANGAROO. and ORNITHORHYNCHUS PARADOXUS.] + +The meeting at which we had just been present, took place on the morning +following our return from the search on Hinchinbrook Island; and not only +was another day indispensable for the arrangements that were necessary, but +we also felt that one more night of comfortable rest would render us better +able to encounter the fatigues of the coming expedition. Only bushmen and +explorers can appreciate the intense enjoyment of a night of unbroken rest +between the sheets, after knocking about for a length of time, catching +sleep by snatches, and never knowing the luxury of undressing. Turning in +like a trooper's horse, "all standing," as the nautical phrase is, may be +an expeditious method of courting the sleepy god, but it certainly is not +the best for shaking off fatigue. Bound up in the garments you have +carried all day, the muscles are unable to relax to their full, the +circulation of the blood is impeded, and your slumber, though deep, is not +refreshing; more particularly when -- as had happened to us on this last +trip -- our boots were so soaked that we were afraid to take them off, lest +we should find it impossible to struggle into them in the morning. +Dunmore's camp was also some distance from the township, and he had to +visit it to find out how matters had gone on in his absence, to get another +trooper in the place of poor Cato, and to replenish his exhausted wardrobe +and ammunition. + +But I will not occupy the reader with all these minor details, nor with the +numberless little trifles that it devolves upon the leader of such an +expedition to remember, suffice it to say that by noon on the following +day, all our preparations were completed, and we shoved off from the beach +in high spirits, the party consisting this time of nine, viz., Dunmore, the +pilot, two boatmen, Lizzie, three troopers, and myself, about as many as +the boat could carry comfortably. A rendezvous had been arranged on a +known portion of the river; the other expedition was to start in seven +days; and, according to our programme, if all went well, we should meet on +the tenth, or on the eleventh day at furthest. + +The sea-breeze was blowing steadily, cresting the tiny waves which sparkled +in the hot sun as they broke into foam, and under its grateful coolness we +glided comfortably along, with a flowing sheet. The bar at the mouth of +the Macalister was eighteen miles distant, and we hoped to cross it about +sunset, when the breeze would have dropped, and the passage through the +surf would be readily distinguishable; but our plans were completely upset +by one of the troopers espying smoke issuing from the scrub on a small +creek, that entered the bay about half-way between the town and the +Macalister. + +"We had better have a look in here," said Dunmore, "there is no knowing +where we may stumble on some information." + +Accordingly, the helm was put up, and we ran into the mouth of the inlet, +with the wind right aft. Beaching the boat on the soft sand, we sprang +out, and advanced cautiously in the direction of the smoke, but, after +several minutes of scrambling, we reached the fire only to find it +deserted, its original proprietors having seen our sudden alteration of +course, and sought the safety of the dense bush, where further search would +have been useless. + +"Now that we are on shore," said Dunmore, "let us make a billy full of tea; +it won't take long. Here, you boys, get 'em like 'it waddy to make 'em +fire." + +The troopers and Lizzie dispersed in quest of fuel; Ferdinand walking up +the bank of the creek, where he was soon lost to sight. A loud coo-eh from +that direction soon brought us to the spot from whence it issued, and we +found the boy staring at several pieces of timber sticking out of the sand. + +"Big fellow canoe been sit down here," he said, on our approach, and +examining the protruding stumps, we soon saw enough to convince us that the +boy was right, and that we were in the presence of a vessel, wrecked, or +abandoned, Heaven only knows how many years ago. With our hands, with pint +pots, with a spade we had brought with us -- mindful of the difficulty we +had experienced in finding a resting-place for poor Cato -- with every +utensil, in fact, that ingenuity could devise, we set to work clearing away +the sand that had accumulated round the old ribs. Suddenly, the tin rim of +one of the pots gave back a ringing sound, as if it had struck against +metal, and in less than a minute, a much rusted cannon-shot was exposed to +view, and passed round from hand to hand. It was of small size, weighing, +perhaps, five pounds, though its dimensions were evidently much decreased +by the wasting action of damp. + +"By Jove!" said Dunmore, "perhaps she was a Spanish galleon, and we shall +come across her treasure. Won't that be a find, eh, old fellow?" + +"She's more likely a pirate," I answered, as visions of the old buccaneers +floated through my brain; and Edgar Poe's fanciful story of the "Gold +Beetle" occurring to me, I sung out, "Whatever you do, keep any parchment +you stumble across," and abandoned myself to thoughts of untold wealth, +whilst I wielded a quart pot with the energy born of mental excitement. + +"My word! that been big fellow sit down like 'it here," cried Ferdinand, +who, lying on one side, had his bare arm buried at full length in the sand. +"I feel him, Marmy, plenty cold." + +We rushed to the boy's assistance, and speedily scraped away the shingle, +until an old-fashioned gun was exposed to view; it was coated and scaly +with rust to such an extent, that we were unable to form any idea as to its +age or nationality. It would most probably have been a twelve or +eighteen-pounder howitzer, for it was about four feet in length, and +disproportionately large in girth; but one of the trunnions, and the button +at the breech, were broken off, the portion that had lain undermost had +entirely disappeared, and the remainder was so honeycombed, that beyond +ascertaining that it was a piece of ordnance, we could elicit nothing from +this curious relic of a bygone generation. + +Further search brought to light several more round-shot, but in the same +state as the first, and we noticed that in several places the timbers were +burnt, most probably by the natives, or the crew themselves, for the sake +of the copper bolts. + +What a number of melancholy recollections are awakened by the discovery of +a forgotten memorial of the past, such as this nameless wreck; and if those +old timbers could have spoken, what a strange record of hopes unfulfilled, +and high adventure unachieved, would have been disinterred from the dark +storehouse of the past! That the vessel came in her present position by +accident, could hardly be supposed. More probably, having struck on the +Barrier Reef, or on some of the hidden coral shelves with which this sea +abounds, she had been taken into this secluded creek for repairs. Cook, +the great circumnavigator, careened his ship at a spot not far distant from +this; but we were unanimously of opinion that this vessel must have become +embedded long prior to his time. Not only was the framework some distance +from the present bed of the creek, but it was raised considerably above the +water level. That the eastern coast of Australia is slowly rising from the +waves is well known, for in the neighbourhood of Brisbane valuable +reclamations have been made within the memory of living men; but at least +two centuries must have elapsed to account for the altitude attained by +this old craft. Our regret was great at getting no more certain +information, but although we persevered in digging until sundown, no casket +of jewels, no bags of specie, and no mysterious parchments rewarded us; and +with the darkness we were compelled to abandon our search, rather angry at +having wasted several valuable hours to such little purpose. + +As it would have been madness attempting to cross the bar before daylight, +we hauled the boat up on the beach, and made ourselves comfortable for the +night. About one o'clock, the trooper who was on watch,awakened us with +the news that there was a light out at sea. We thought at first it could +only be some blacks in their canoes, spearing fish by torchlight, but it +gradually drew nearer and nearer, until at last we could distinguish the +distant sound of voices, and the faint rattle of the iron cable as it flew +out through the hawse-hole. + +"Some coasting craft, I suppose," said Dunmore. + +"Most probably, but we shall find out in the morning;" and we were soon +again in the land of dreams. + +Before daylight we had finished breakfast, and by the time the sun rose, +were in the whale-boat, pulling towards the new arrival. She was a dirty, +weather-beaten, nondescript-looking little craft, half fore and aft +schooner, half dandy-rigged cutter, and the look-out on board was evidently +not very vigilant, for we had almost arrived alongside, before a black head +showed over the gunwale, and, frightened at seeing a boat-load of armed men +in such an unexpected spot, poured out a flood of shrieking jargon that +would have aroused the Seven Sleepers, and which speedily awoke from their +slumbers the remainder of the crew. There seemed to be only two white men, +one of whom introduced himself as the captain, and asked us, in French, to +come on board. The vessel was the 'Gabrielle d'Estonville', of New +Caledonia, commanded by Captain Jean Labonne, and had put into Rockingham +Bay for water, during a 'beche-de-mer' expedition. Anything to equal the +filth of the fair 'Gabrielle', I never saw. Her crew consisted of another +Frenchman besides the captain, and of seven or eight Kanakas, two of whom +had their wives on board. As perhaps this extraordinary trade is but +little known to the reader who has not resided in China, I will briefly +narrate how it is carried out. + +From the neighbourhood of Torres Straits to about the Tropic of Capricorn, +extends, at a distance of fifty to a hundred miles from the shore, an +enormous bed of coral, named the Barrier Reef. There, untold millions of +minute insects are still noiselessly pursuing their toil, and raising fresh +structures from the depths of the ocean. Neither is this jagged belt -- +though deadly to the rash mariner -- without its uses. In the first place, +a clear channel is always found between it and the mainland, in which no +sea of any formidable dimensions can ever rise, and now that modern surveys +have accurately indicated where danger is to be found, this quiet channel +is of the greatest use to the vessels frequenting that portion of the +ocean, for they avoid the whole swell of the broad Pacific, which now +thunders against and breaks harmlessly on the huge coral wall, instead of +wasting its fury on the coast itself. In the second place on the Barrier +Reef is found the 'Holothuria', from which the 'beche-de-mer' is prepared. +It is a kind of sea-slug, averaging from one to over two feet in length, +and four to ten inches in girth. In appearance, these sea-cucumbers are +more repulsive, looking like flabby black or green sausages, and squirting +out a stream of salt water when pressed. But despite their disgusting +appearance, they are a most valuable cargo, from the high price they fetch +in the Chinese market, where they are a much-esteemed delicacy. The vessel +that goes in quest of 'beche-de-mer' takes several expert divers -- usually +Kanakas, or South Sea Islanders -- and having arrived at the ground they +propose fishing, a sort of head-quarters is established on some convenient +island, where vegetables are planted, to stave off the scurvy that would +otherwise soon attack the adventurers. This done the little vessel +proceeds to the edge of the reef, and begins work in earnest. + +The sea-slug is found buried amidst the triturated sand, worn away by the +constant play of the waves, and only the experienced and keen-eyed Kanakas +can detect its whereabouts, by the fitful waving of the long feathery +tentacles surrounding the mouth of the fish, which immerses its body in the +sand. The vessel being anchored, her boat is got out, and pulled to the +smooth water within the reef, the divers keeping a keen scrutiny on the +milk-white floor for any indication of their prey. Suddenly, the man in +the bows holds up his hand, as a sign to desist from pulling. He drops +quietly into the clear water, and the length of time that elapses before +his black head reappears, is enough to make a bystander nervous. Often the +diver has to encounter his dread enemy the shark, and if cool and +collected, generally comes off victorious in the contest. The South Sea +Islanders have a thorough knowledge of the habits of this salt-water +pirate, and know that by keeping underneath him, they cannot be touched, +and they will fearlessly stab the intruder with their knives, and avail +themselves of his momentary departure to regain the boat. I have known one +instance of a native jumping into the water to distract the attention of a +shark that was swimming guard over his friend, and both escaped unhurt; but +still, despite their utmost skill, accidents do often occur. In shallow +water the 'beche-de-mer' is caught with a five-pronged instrument, +resembling an eel-spear. The animals are split open, boiled, pressed flat, +and dried in the sun, and after a sufficient number have been taken, they +are carried to the island rendezvous and there smoked with dry wood, which +last process converts the slug into genuine 'beche-de-mer', fit for the +market, and for the palates of Celestial epicures. I tried to cook some, +but after boiling it for a couple of hours in a quart pot, it came out like +a dirty piece of indian-rubber, and so tough that no teeth could penetrate +it. + +Captain Labonne welcomed us very cordially -- the sight of a strange face +must have been a godsend -- and most hospitably asked us to share his +breakfast, but as it consisted only of dried fish, which smelt most +abominably, we declined, and he was very grateful for a couple of pots of +sardines which we gave him out of our slender stock. The 'Gabrielle' was +on her way to Cardwell for fresh provisions and water, and after the +dangers to be avoided had been pointed out by the pilot, we bade adieu to +Jean Labonne and his queer crew, though not before one of our party had +succeeded in jotting down the features of a Kanaka diver, his wife and +child. + + + +AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY -- VI. + +BY CHARLES H. EDEN. + + +WE now pulled for the mouth of the Macalister River, and on sighting the +bar shortly before eight o'clock, were glad to find but little surf +running. On our way we passed several water-snakes, one of which seemed of +large size, but we were too distant to form any accurate estimate of its +length. It was not altogether without misgivings that we encountered the +ridge of sand that extended completely across the entrance of the river. +Only one of our party had ever crossed it before, and it was known to be +very dangerous. The calm water rolled itself up in smooth walls, which +sailed majestically along until the upper portion broke into a line of +white, and soon the entire mass rushed onward in a sheet of foam. + +The great danger in crossing a bar is, that the helmsman either loses his +head and permits the boat to present her broadside to the surf, or that the +steering power is not sufficient to keep her head straight. Neither of +these misfortunes befell us in entering the Macalister, for, from the hour +we had selected, the sea was at its quietest, and we got over without +shipping a thimbleful of water. We found a broad expanse studded with +dense mangrove flats, and it was with difficulty we ascertained which was +the main channel. We pulled on until about noon, by which time the mud +swamps had disappeared, and we were fairly in the river, which much +resembled the Herbert, of which I have already given a description, except +that it was smaller, and that the vegetation was more luxurious. On +landing, we lit a fire, and cooked our dinner, consisting of ducks and +moor-fowl that we had shot on our way up. I never remember seeing +water-fowl in such profusion as here. The ducks and geese were literally +in tens of thousands, and the beautifully-plumaged moor-fowl quite +blackened the mangrove bushes as we passed. + +The scenery was perfectly lovely. Tall palms shot up in every direction; +wild bananas spread forth their broad leaves, amidst which were seen the +bunches of fruit; and the larger trees -- fig, Leichhardt plum, etc. -- +threw their branches across the river, and there interlacing, formed a +leafy canopy such as we imagined was unknown in Australia. Some of the +young palms we cut down for the sake of the head, which is very pleasant +eating. Stripping off the leaves, you come to a shoot twenty inches or two +feet in length, the interior of which consists of a white substance +resembling an office ruler in thickness, and which tastes something like a +chestnut, but is much more milky and sweet. The fruit of the wild banana +has a most delicious flavour, but is so full of small seeds that it is +impossible to swallow it. The huge fig trees, with which the banks of most +of the northern rivers abound, have the peculiarity that the fruit is found +growing on the trunk, and not at the extremity of the smaller boughs. On +an enormous stem, and at a distance of only a few feet from its base, are +seen bunches of figs, and these, though of smaller size than the European +fruit, are very palatable, if they can be selected free from insects. +Usually, the ants have been first afield, and have taken up their abode in +the very heart of the fig, forming a most undesirable mouthful for the +unwary stranger. The wild plums are very good, but to attain perfection, +should be buried for some days previous to eating. I trust these details +will not prove tedious to my readers, but I know from experience the +benefit arising from even a slight knowledge of wild fruits and herbs, +which have often quenched thirst and assuaged hunger when other food was +wanting, and rendered endurable what would otherwise have been a painful +journey. + +We camped that night where darkness overtook us, close to a thick scrub +which lined the bank of the river, and we paid for our stupidity in not +selecting a more open spot, for myriads of mosquitoes put sleep out of the +question. The truth was that this belt of scrub had lined the river for +several miles past, and we hoped at every turn to come to a break, but night +set in whilst we were still between the leafy walls. + +Daylight came at last, and we pushed onward. An hour took us into a +beautiful black-soil plain of great extent, without a stick of timber, and +well watered, not only by the Macalister, which meandered through its +centre, but by several large lagoons, overgrown with the lovely white +lotus, and crowded with waterfowl. The existence of such a planter's +paradise was totally unsuspected, and we all gazed spell-bound on this +splendid tract of country, possessing every requisite for successful +cultivation, and a water road for the produce. Dunmore was a true prophet +when he exclaimed -- + +"Before a year is past this will be settled upon." + +A fine sugar plantation now stands on "Bellenden Plains," with superb cane +growing in unwonted luxuriance, and horses and cattle have taken the place +of the kangaroos, that we on this first visit found grazing there in +troops. In the distance could be seen the coast range behind Cardwell, +which seemed to recede inland as it trended towards our position, and +sweeping round, approached the sea again farther north, forming a natural +boundary to a vast space of available country. A silver line shone out on +the mountains, and with our glasses we could make out that it must be a +waterfall of very large dimensions. We at once agreed that it must be the +source of the very river we were on, the Macalister, but, as the sequel +will show, we found so many streams, that most probably we were mistaken in +our judgment. We resolved to make this charming spot our head-quarters for +the present, as we had everything to be desired -- water, game, etc. -- +close at hand, and, from the absence of timber, no blacks would be able to +steal upon us unperceived. + +Leaving the pilot and one man in charge of the boat, we trudged along +through the high grass, which reached to our middles, and was dripping with +moisture from a shower that had fallen during the night; and, after a +tedious walk, reached the edge of the scrub. It was thicker than anything +we had encountered before, the density of the foliage totally excluding the +sun, and giving rise to a dank humid odour that struck a chill to the heart +directly you entered. We wound along the path, or rather track, that the +blacks had made, with the greatest difficulty. It was all very well for +the troopers, who had stripped, but our clothes hitched up on a thorn at +every other step. One of our most provoking enemies was the lawyer vine, a +kind of rattan enclosed in a rough husk, covered with thousands of crooked +prickles. These, with their outer covering, are about an inch and a +quarter in diameter, and extend to an enormous distance, running up to the +tops of lofty trees, and from thence either descending or pushing onward, +or festooning themselves from stem to stem in graceful curves of +indescribable beauty. From the joints of the parent shoot are thrown out +little slender tendrils, no thicker than a wire, but of great length, and +as dangerously armed as their larger relation. These miserable little +wretches seem always on the watch to claw hold of something, and if you are +unhappy enough to be caught, and attempt to disengage yourself by +struggling, fresh tendrils appear always to lurk in ambush, ready to assist +their companion, who already holds you in his grasp. I have measured the +length of one of these canes, and found it over 250 paces; and this is not +the maximum to which they attain, for I have been assured by men employed +in cutting a telegraph road through the scrub that they had found some over +300 yards long. They seem to retain the same circumference throughout +their whole length, and, as the bushman puts everything to some use, the +lawyer is divested of his husk, and takes the place of wire in fencing, +being rove through the holes bored in the posts as though they were ropes. +It is almost needless to add that this cane derives its 'soubriquet' of +"lawyer" from the difficulty experienced in getting free if once caught in +its toils. + +Another of the torments to which the traveller is subjected in the North +Australian scrubs, is the stinging-tree ('Urtica gigas'), which is very +abundant, and ranges in size from a large shrub of thirty feet in height to +a small plant measuring only a few inches. Its leaf is large and peculiar, +from being covered with a short silvery hair, which, when shaken, emits a +fine pungent dust, most irritating to the skin and nostrils. If touched, +it causes most acute pain, which is felt for months afterwards -- a dull +gnawing pain, accompanied by a burning sensation, particularly in the +shoulder, and under the arm, where small lumps often arise. Even when the +sting has quite died away, the unwary bushman is forcibly reminded of his +indiscretion each time that the affected part is brought into contact with +water. The fruit is of a pink, fleshy colour, hanging in clusters, and +looks so inviting that a stranger is irresistibly tempted to pluck it; but +seldom more than once, for though the raspberry-like berries are harmless +in themselves, some contact with the leaves is almost unavoidable. The +blacks are said to eat the fruit; but for this I cannot vouch, though I +have tasted one or two at odd times, and found them very pleasant. The +worst of this nettle is the tendency it exhibits to shoot up wherever a +clearing has been effected. In passing through the dray tracks cut through +the scrub, great caution was necessary to avoid the young plants that +cropped up even in a few weeks. I have never known a case of its being +fatal to human beings; but I have seen people subjected by it to great +suffering, notably a scientific gentleman, who plucked off a branch and +carried it some distance as a curiosity, wondering the while what was +causing the pain and numbness in his arm. Horses I have been die in agony +from the sting, the wounded parts becoming paralysed; but strange to say, +it does not seem to injure cattle, who dash through scrubs full of it +without receiving any damage. This curious anomaly is well known to all +bushmen. + +For a couple of hours we followed the tortuous windings of the track, +without we white men having the faintest conception where we were going, +though the troopers and Lizzie declared that we were pushing straight +through. At length a ray of sunlight became visible, and in a few minutes +we emerged from the sombre depths of the jungle, and found ourselves on the +banks of a splendid river, the Mackay. Traces of blacks were seen in every +direction, the white sand being covered with their foot-prints. Abandoned +gungales were plentiful on the opposite bank, which was clear of scrub, and +whilst we were eating the damper and beef with which each of the party was +provided, Lizzie espied a thin column of smoke at no great distance. + +We approached it as cautiously as possible, taking advantage of every shrub +that offered a cover, and finally, lying down and worming our way through +the grass on all fours, a mode of progression that is in itself +particularly fatiguing and objectionable, but not without excitement, for +we never knew the moment when we might chance to put our hands on a dormant +snake, or find ourselves sprawling over a nest of bulldog ants. We were +successful in completely surprising the camp, which consisted entirely of +gins and piccaninnies, all the males, as usual, being out hunting. The +gins spoke quite a different language from that of the Hinchinbrook and +Herbert River people, and Lizzie was a long time before she could make them +understand. They seemed to know nothing of any white men, nor, I may say, +of anything else in particular. They were ignorant where the Mackay rose, +or where it debouched, and could give us no information regarding the +waterfall we saw on the distant range, what river it supplied, or what kind +of country was between us and the hills. Altogether they were a most +unsatisfactory lot; and having rummaged their camp without finding any +suspicious articles, and threatened them with wholesale destruction if they +gave warning of our approach to any other tribe, by either smoke signals or +messengers, we departed, much disgusted. + +On arriving at the edge of a small copse, at a short distance from the +camp, we found the arsenal of the male portion of the tribe. Why they had +stacked their arms so far away from the gungales we never could make out; +but there they were, consisting of the usual spears and shields, and, in +addition, several of the enormous swords used by these natives, of which we +had often heard, but that few of our party, except Dunmore, had ever seen. +These curious weapons are made of the heaviest iron-bark wood, are about +five feet in length, by as many inches in breadth, and about an inch thick +in the centre -- rather more than less, and both edges scraped down to as +sharp an edge as the material will receive. They are slightly curved; but +the most wonderful part about them is the handle, which is so small that a +European can with difficulty squeeze three fingers into it. The mystery +is, how do they use them? for Goliath of Gath could never have wielded an +instrument as heavy as this with one hand. It is supposed that the warrior +raises the cumbrous weapon on his shield, and having got within sword's +length of his enemy, lets it drop on his head. This portion of a black's +frame is undeniably hard; but such a blow would crush it like an egg-shell; +and as he may be credited with sufficient sense to know this, it seems +difficult to understand why he should stand still and allow such a +disagreeable operation to be performed. Whether or not the use of these +weapons has been discovered since I left Australia, I am unable to say; but +certainly up to that time we who lived in their neighbourhood were unable +to appreciate the varied excellencies they doubtless possess. + +We pursued our way up the Mackay River in hopes of finding some termination +to the thick scrub on the opposite bank, so that we might return to our +boat without having to thread its intricate mazes again; and in this we +were successful, finding a break in the jungle an hour before sunset, which +at once admitted us to the plain, through the centre of which ran the +Macalister, and in due course we reached our camp, where, after having a +glorious "bogey" (the Australian term for bathing) in the river, and +overhauling each other well, to see that no ticks were adhering to our +skins, we had supper, and turned in, having done little good, except +finding a road to the Mackay less tedious than the one we had taken in the +morning. The ticks that I mentioned just now, are little insects no bigger +than a pin's head when they first fasten on to you, but soon become swollen +with blood until larger than a pea. They do no harm to a man besides the +unpleasant feeling they occasion, but they almost invariably kill a dog. +Nearly all our dogs fell victims sooner or later to either the alligator or +the tick. + +HOW WE EXPLORED THE MACKAY RIVER. + +We now determined to carry with us enough tea, sugar, and flour to last for +a week, and to work up towards the unknown country at the head of the +Mackay, leaving the boat in its present position, under the charge of two +men. We intended to push towards the range whence both the Macalister and +the Mackay rivers drew their supply; and as the former stream in its +windings over the open plain approached within a mile of its large +neighbour, we resolved to move the boat a little further up before starting +on our new expedition. By occasionally lightening her, and dragging her +over the shallows, this was accomplished in a couple of hours, and we +finally halted at a bend in the river where the bank was high enough to +shield the boat from all observation, whilst the scrub bordering the +Mackay, standing at less than a quarter of a mile distant, the men left +behind could easily see if any considerable body of blacks moved between +the two streams, and could take the bearings of all smoke arising from +fires in the direction of the coast, so that we might visit them hereafter, +if deemed necessary. The fact of two rivers, each containing a constant +supply of water, being found in such close proximity to each other, caused +much remark, for none of us had ever observed a similar instance in +Australia, which is as a rule very deficient in permanent rivers. + +We now turned our attention to getting sufficient provisions cooked to last +the exploring party for three days, as we were determined to employ the +utmost vigilance, and show as little smoke as possible, for nothing creates +such suspicion amongst the aboriginals as seeing fresh fires constantly +lighted, unless accompanied by the smoke signals, which I have described in +a former chapter. As we were utterly ignorant of the code they employed, +we resolved only to light our fires at night, and not even then unless we +found some sequestered spot where the flame would be unseen. Some of us at +once started for a large lagoon that we had passed in the morning, and +creeping up through the long grass, found its surface quite covered with +water-fowl of every description, from the black swan to the beautiful pigmy +goose. A volley, fired at a concerted signal, strewed the surface of the +lake with the dead and wounded, and we were compelled to stand idly on the +bank until the wind wafted the game ashore, for at the report of the guns +two or three heavy splashes and as many dusky forms gliding into the water +betokened that we had disturbed alligators, either having a nap, or lying +in wait for kangaroos and wallaby coming down to drink. More than one +house now stands on the margin of this lagoon, but their inhabitants are +still afraid to bathe in the broad sheet of water spread so invitingly +before them. + +Having secured our game, we returned to the boat, and after plucking and +splitting open the birds, some were roasted over the fire for immediate +use, but by far the greater number were boiled in a pot, which was portion +of the boat's furniture when on an expedition. One of the troopers had +with a tomahawk stripped off a sheet of bark, and on this was manufactured +a gigantic damper. For the information of such of my readers as may be +unacquainted with Australia, I must explain that damper is unleavened +bread, well kneaded and baked in the ashes. But simple though such a rough +form of loaf may seem from the above description, it is in reality a very +difficult thing to turn out a thoroughly good damper, and only practice +will enable the new-comer to obtain the sleight of hand necessary for the +production of a first-rate specimen. In form a damper resembles a flat +cheese of two or three inches thick, and from one to two feet in diameter. +Great care and much practice are requisite to form this shape so that no +cracks shall appear, and when this is done the work is by no means over, +for the exact heat of the fire must be judged by the cook, otherwise he +will either burn up his dough, or it will come out a crude, sodden, +uneatable mass. A good wood fire that has been burning several days, and +has gained a quantity of ashes, is the best; but wood is plentiful enough +in the bush, and if you only know the right kind to use, you find no +difficulty in soon providing yourself with a glorious heap of glowing +embers. Scraping away a hole in the centre of the fire a little larger +than the disc, you gently drop it in with your hands, strew it over with +enough powdery white ash to prevent the embers coming into actual contact +with the dough, and then cover the whole with the glowing coals. Only +practice can enable the bushman to judge the exact depth of this layer, +which, of course, differs in every case, according to the size of the +damper. It is left in this fiery bed until small cracks appear on the +covering caused by the steam forcing its way out. This is a sign that it +is nearly done, confirmation of which is sought by introducing a +knife-blade through the ashes, and sounding the crust. If this gives back +a hard sound, the damper may be considered cooked, and is then withdrawn, +stood carefully 'on its edge' -- never forget this -- and is ready to eat +when cool. + +As there was nothing very particular to do that afternoon, we watched the +troopers spearing fish, in which they were most skilful. There is in some +of the Australian rivers a splendid fish, called the 'Barrimundi', which +not only much resembles the salmon in appearance, but, like it, requires +running water and access to the sea. Many a time I have vainly tried to +lure them from their watery depths, but no bait would tempt them that I +could ever hit on, though I have little doubt that a fly or artificial +minnow would prove killing. We could see them in the Macalister, lying +with their heads pointed up stream, and seemingly motionless but for the +slight waving of the tail that retained them in their places. Having cut +several slender switches, not thicker than a tobacco-pipe stem, and +sharpened one end with a knife, the trooper Ferdinand, who was by far the +most expert among his brethren, grasped this apparently inoffensive little +weapon between the thumb and middle finger, whilst the blunt end rested +against the ball of the forefinger. Stooping down, he approached to within +four or five yards of the fish, which were only a few inches from the +surface, and suddenly jerking his switch forward, it entered the water +almost horizontally, and rarely failed to transfix a 'Barri mundi', which, +darting forward, was soon hampered by the weapon catching in the weeds, and +became the prey of its sharp-eyed captor, who had never lost sight of it in +its endeavour to escape. This fish is excellent eating, and averages from +eight to thirty pounds in weight. + +As Dunmore and I were strolling along a small lagoon overgrown with +water-lilies, he pointed out to me a pretty graceful little bird, about the +size of a jack-snipe, but with longer legs, and most extraordinary claws. +I am ashamed to say I shot this poor little fellow, to examine him, and +found that each toe measured at least three inches from the leg to the +extremity of the claw. This is to enable the bird to run along safely over +the floating leaves of the lotus, on which plant it seems to get its +living. I had never seen one before; and the simple manner in which Nature +had adapted it to its peculiar line of life struck me as both curious and +beautiful. What this little bird's scientific name is I never heard, but +we colonists call it the "Lotus bird." + +As there was a remote chance of the party left with the boats coming in +contact with the blacks, it was deemed advisable to leave them a trooper, +who would more readily recognise their whereabouts than the white men; +therefore a boy known by the not euphonious sobriquet of "Killjoy," was +selected to remain with the pilot and his two boatmen, and after dividing +the big meat damper in five equal portions, the exploring party, consisting +of Dunmore, Ferdinand, Larry, Lizzie and myself, struck out for the opening +in the scrub on the Mackay river. We descended into the sandy bed, and +crossed to the opposite side, which was much more open country, consisting +of park-like land, lightly timbered, but the soil not nearly so rich as the +fertile plain through which wound the Macalister. It would be tedious to +weary my readers with a minute account of our doings each day; enough to +say that we passed through new country of every description, crossing from +side to side of the Mackay, to cut off its many bends, and that our +progress was but slow, the distant ranges seeming hardly nearer on the +third day than they were at starting. We were disappointed in not meeting +with any blacks, though their traces were plentiful; and we had commenced +to fear that the tribe we had surprised five days before had given warning +of our approach, when Ferdinand reported smoke a couple of miles on our +right. It was about mid-day when this was seen; and having made a hurried +meal off the damper, which I may here state answered its purpose admirably, +we crept towards the fire with the utmost caution. Our route took us away +from the river, and on arriving at the edge of a small belt of scrub, we +could make out that the fire was by the side of a water-hole, but the two +hundred yards between it and ourselves was so open, that surprising the +camp seemed almost impossible. The hour was in our favour, for the blacks +were lying about listlessly, resting themselves after the fatigues of +procuring the food of which they had just made a meal. They numbered about +twenty of both sexes, and were evidently quite unconscious of our +proximity. Detaching the two troopers to make a detour, and cut them off +from the scrub in that direction, Dunmore, Lizzie, and I remained perfectly +motionless for above an hour, and then, judging that the boys must have +reached their position, we advanced towards the camp swiftly but silently. +We got over a third of the distance before the blacks saw us, and then +ensured a general scrimmage. The women and children jumped into the +lagoon, and the men, snatching up their weapons, threw a volley of spears +with such force and precision that, had we been twenty yards closer, it +would have gone hard with both my companions and myself. As it was, the +missiles nearly all fell short, seeing which the warriors dropped their +arms and took to their heels, running directly for the spot where Ferdinand +and Larry lay in ambush. Both Dunmore and myself fired our carbines over +the heads of the retreating Myalls (wild blacks), which completed their +panic, and one of them, rushing recklessly forward, was captured by the +troopers, and brought by them in triumph to the camp, amidst the yells and +jabbering of the gins and piccaninnies. + +After half an hour or so, seeing that no harm was intended to them, the +women came out of the water, and we were very much pleased to find that +they readily understood Lizzie. On being addressed by her, the warrior, +who had hitherto maintained a sullen and defiant attitude, became +conversational, and readily replied to all the questions put to him by +Dunmore. Unlike most of the blacks, he appeared to be very little +frightened at the situation in which he found himself, and seemed +instinctively to know that all danger was past. On being questioned +regarding the shipwrecked crew, he denied all knowledge of any vessel +having been lost, but said at once that a white man had lived with this +tribe for many moons, though he was dead now. This rather astonished us, +and we asked if any relics were still in the camp, upon which one of the +gins produced an old sheath-knife, worn down nearly to nothing by constant +sharpening; half a dozen horn buttons, one of them still sewn to a fragment +of moleskin; and an empty tin match-box. We asked how long the white man +had been dead, and were told that he died three moons before, of fever, and +that we could see his grave if we liked, for it was within a day's journey. +There was an openness about this tribe, and a frankness in their answers, +that made us certain that all we heard was the truth, and as they had +evidently befriended this poor wanderer, we were anxious to repay them in +some measure, and strengthen the kindly feelings they felt for the white +men, so we told Lizzie to assure them that our visit was only to search for +our lost brethren; that we should like to visit the grave, if one of them +would guide us; and that in return for their services we would give them a +new knife and a tomahawk. + +As they were profoundly ignorant of the use of fire-arms, and we wished to +impress upon them the irresistible power of the white man, it was agreed +that we should ask them to guide us to the nearest place frequented by +kangaroos, and pick off two or three of these animals in their presence, if +possible. They were very curious to know the meaning of our "lightning +sticks," and we repaired, escorted by nearly the whole tribe, to a +neighbouring water-hole, where we could remain concealed, and get an easy +shot at any game coming down to drink. We were not kept long waiting, for +within half an hour a couple of wallabies came hopping leisurely along, and +were very cleverly dropped in their tracks, one by Dunmore, the other by +Larry. Our hosts were in ecstasies, and seemed very grateful that a +similar fate had not befallen some of their number in the morning; but we +made Lizzie explain to them clearly that our object was not to hurt our +black friends, unless they were wicked -- ill-treating white men, or +spearing cattle. A couple of noble emus now came stalking slowly towards +the water, and, passing within forty yards of our hiding-place, both fell +victims to the breechloaders of Dunmore and myself. + +This beautiful bird inhabits the open country throughout Australia, where +at one time it was very common, but is now rarely seen in the settled +districts. However, in the north emus may be found in plenty; and I do not +think there is the slightest fear of their becoming extinct, as some +writers suggest. All my readers must have seen this bird at the Zoological +Gardens, and remarked its likeness to the ostrich, both in form and habits; +but the prisoner portrays but poorly the free majestic gait of the wild +inhabitant of the plains. The colour of the adult bird is a greyish brown, +the feathers are very loose and hairy, whilst the height of a fine male is +often nearly seven feet. The usual mode of capturing these birds is to +ride them down, using dogs trained for the purpose to pull them to the +ground. The dogs should be taught to reserve their attack until the emu is +thoroughly tired out, and then to spring upon the neck; but an unwary puppy +will bitterly rue his temerity should he come within reach of the powerful +legs, which deal kicks fiercely around, and of sufficient power to disable +any assailant. The ostrich always kicks forward, in which he differs from +the emu, whose blow is delivered sideways and backwards, like a cow. This +bird is very good eating, if you know the part to select; the legs proving +tough and unpalatable, while the back is nearly as tender as fowl. But to +the bushman the most valuable thing about the emu is its oil, which is +looked upon as a sovereign remedy for bruises or sprains when rubbed into +the affected part either pure or mixed with turpentine. This useful oil is +of a light yellow colour, and from its not readily congealing or becoming +glutinous, it is in much request for cleaning the locks of fire-arms. It +chiefly resides in the skin, but also collects in great quantities near the +rump. The usual mode of obtaining it is to pluck out all the feathers, cut +the skin into small pieces, and boil them in a common pot; but a still +simpler plan, though less productive, is to hang the skin before a fire, +and catch the oil as it drips down. A full-sized bird will yield from six +to seven quarts. The food of the emu consists of grass and various fruits. +It emits a deep drumming sound from its throat, but no other cry, that I +ever heard. Its nest is only a shallow hole scraped in the ground, and in +this hollow the eggs, which vary in number, are laid. Dr. Bennett remarks +that "There is always an odd number, some nests having been discovered with +nine, others with eleven, and others again with thirteen." When fresh they +are of a beautiful green colour, and are in much request for mounting in +silver as drinking cups; but after a little while the colour changes to a +dirty brownish green. One peculiarity about the next is, that the parent +bird never goes straight up to it, but walks round and round in a narrowing +circle, of which the nest is the centre. I once caught seven little emus, +only just out of the shell; but shutting them up for the night in an empty +room, I was horrified the next morning to find that they had all been +killed by rats. The young ones have four broad longitudinal stripes down +the back, which disappear as they grow up. The emu is easily domesticated, +and on many cattle and sheep stations tame specimens are funning about the +paddocks. To my mind they are an intolerable nuisance, always doing some +mischief -- either frightening the horses, or stealing things from the +workmen. I saw one cured of his thievish propensities for a long time. He +always loafed about the kitchen when dinner was being served, and if the +cook turned his back for a moment, his long neck was thrust through the +window, and anything within reach -- from an onion to a salt-spoon -- +disappeared with marvellous celerity. But my friend caught a tartar when +he bolted two scalding potatoes, steaming from the pot. He rushed round and +round the little paddock, and at last dropped down as if dead, from pain +and fatigue. Poor wretch, he must have suffered dreadfully; and I am sure +we all pitied him, except the cook, whose patience he had quite worn out. + +Out sable allies were gratified beyond measure when we presented them with +the game, and a great feast took place that evening. We neglected no +opportunity of gaining information about both the shipwrecked crew and the +unknown white man, whose grave we were to visit on the following morning. +Through Lizzie we questioned different individuals separately, but they all +agreed that such an event as the loss of a vessel and the arrival of her +crew amongst the blacks, could not possibly have happened without their +hearing something of it. From their imperfect knowledge of time, and their +difficulty in expressing any number higher than five, we could not form the +slightest idea how long the white man had lived among them; but they +pointed to the ranges behind the township of Cardwell as indicating the +place where he first joined them. + +We camped at the opposite end of the water-hole, not thinking it judicious +to remain too close to our allies, and kept a strict watch during the +night; but we might all have enjoyed a good sleep in perfect safety, for +the blacks were far too busy stuffing themselves with emu meat to think of +treachery. Before sunrise we started, guided by our late captive and two +of his companions. After a tedious walk, we arrived at an open plain, on +which the grass was trodden down in every direction, in some places worn +quite away by the feet of the natives -- for this was the great "bora +ground" of the coast tribes, where the mystic ceremonies mentioned in a +former chapter took place. Traversing the sacred plain, our thoughts busy +in conjecturing the weird scenes that the posts had witnessed, we came to a +little creek whose clear stream babbled cheerfully among the rocks, and +soon saw a giant fig-tree, which our guides indicated as being the spot we +sought. As we approached we perceived a greyish-looking form on a large +limb about ten feet from the ground, and a closer inspection revealed to us +that it was unmistakably the body of a white man, rolled up in tea-tree +bark, and kept in its position by fastenings of split cane. We could not +examine the corpse very minutely, for it was too offensive; but from the +portions of the face that still remained, and the long blonde locks and red +beard, we satisfied ourselves that the poor wanderer was not one of the +'Eva's' crew; indeed, we judged that his death must have taken place some +time before the loss of that vessel. We were much pleased to observe the +respect with which the natives had treated the remains, and as they think +that exposure either on a platform or in a tree is the most honourable way +in which a corpse can be disposed of, we left the body as we found it, and +returned to the camp, where we passed the night. + +Our damper was now at an end, and we had no flour with us, so made up our +minds to return to the boat. On talking the matter over, it seemed quite +clear that the shipwrecked men had never been thrown on this part of the +coast, and that any further exploration would only be lost time. On the +following morning we presented the tribe with our knives, and some matches, +and taking a friendly leave of them, started for the Macalister, +accompanied by two of the warriors. We reached the boat on the sixth day, +found the pilot and his party well, and having dismissed the blacks, with +the present of a tomahawk and a blanket, we started at once for the place +lower down the river, which had been agreed upon with Jack Clark as a +rendezvous. When we arrived at this spot on the following day, the +horsemen had not turned up, so we amused ourselves as best we could, +fishing, shooting, and eating damper thickly plastered over with honey, for +Larry had found a "sugar bag." + +The way the trooper performed this feat was not a little ingenious. Having +noticed several bees about, he caught one, and with a little gum, attached +to it a piece of down from a large owl that somebody had shot. Releasing +the insect, it flew directly towards its nest, the unaccustomed burden with +which it was laden serving not only to make it easily visible, but also +impeding its flight sufficiently to admit of the boy following it. The +next was at the top of a large blue gum tree, about three feet in diameter, +and sending up a smooth column for fifty feet without a branch or twig. +Most people would have given up all thoughts of a honey feed for the day; +not so Mr. Larry, whose movements we followed with considerable curiosity. +Divesting himself of his clothing, he repaired to an adjoining scrub, and +with his tomahawk cut out a piece of lawyer cane twenty feet in length. +Having stripped this of its husk, he wove it into a hoop round the tree of +just sufficient size to admit his body. Slinging his tomahawk and a +fishing-line round his neck, he got inside the hoop, and allowing it to +rest against the small of his back, he pressed hard against the tree with +his knees and feet. This raised him several inches, when with a dexterous +jerk he moved the portion of the hoop furthest away from him a good foot up +the stem, and thus -- somewhat on the same principle that boys climb a +chimney, for the hoop represented the chimney -- he worked himself upward, +and in much less time than I have taken to describe it, was astride on the +lowest branch, and chopping vigorously at the hollow which contained the +golden store. The use of the fishing-line now became apparent, for we bent +on to its end a small tin billy (round can), used for making tea, and by +hauling this up and filling it, Larry soon supplied us with honey enough to +fill our bucket and the boat's baler. As perhaps my readers may be tempted +to wonder why the bees did not attack the naked hide of the robber who was +thus rudely despoiling them, I must state that the wild Australian bee is +stingless. It is a harmless little insect, not much larger than the common +house-fly, and though it produces abundance of honey and wax, it has not +been subjected to domestication, and from its diminutive proportions and +its habit of building on very high trees, probably never will be. The +English bee has been most successfully introduced into Queensland; and many +of the farms in the neighbourhood of Brisbane make a good thing out of +their honey and wax. + +A meeting was held the next day, at which it was agreed that all further +search would be useless, and, indeed, I am certain that every possible +measure had been attempted for the discovery of the missing men. There +seems every reason to think that the ill-fated 'Eva' was sunk in the +cyclone. Most likely she went down in deep water, and all on board her +were drowned. Such was the supposition that received most favour at the +time, and with it we must rest content until the great day when all secrets +are revealed. + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Australian Search Party, by Charles Henry Eden + |