Presently They Appeared, And The
Trembling Fear Of The Natives Was Painful To Witness - Never By Any
Possibility Could They
Have seen camels or white men, though considering
the extent to which articles are passed from tribe to tribe, it
Is
probable they had heard of the "white-fella." Even to European eyes a
camel is not the canniest of beasts, and since these people had never
seen an animal larger than a dingo, and, indeed, no animal save this and
the spinifex rat, their surprise may well be imagined on seeing a thing
as large as their whole camp marching solemnly along.
Putting down the caravan we approached them, and from a mad, incoherent
yelling their protestations gradually died down to an occasional gulp
like that of a naughty child. Making soothing sounds and patting their
breasts and our own in turn, in sign of friendship, we had plenty of time
to inspect them. An old lady, with grizzled hair, toothless and distorted
in countenance, with legs and arms mere bones, and skin shrunken and
parched; a girl-child, perhaps six years old, by no means an ugly little
thing, and a youngish man made up the trio; all stark-naked, and
unadorned by artificial means, unless one excepts a powerfully scented
mixture of grease and ashes, with which their bodies were smeared. The
buck - poor fellow! - was suffering from some horrible skin disease, which
spread over his chest and back. He seemed to have but little power in his
arms, and a pitiful object he was, as we uncovered him from his screen of
branches.
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