And In Light
Of After Events I Say Unhesitatingly That, Without Having Done So, And
Without Having To A Small
Extent used rough treatment to some natives so
caught, we could not by any possibility have succeeded in crossing the
Desert, and should not only have lost our own lives, but possibly those
of others who would have made search for us after. "A man arms himself
where his armour is weakest," so I have read; that, however, is not my
case. I am not justifying myself to myself, or defending a line of action
not yet assailed. I write this in answer to some who have unfavourably
criticised my methods, and to those I would say, "Put yourselves in our
position, and when sitting in a comfortable armchair at home, in the
centre of civilisation, do not, you who have never known want or suffered
hardship, be so ready to judge others who, hundreds of miles from their
fellow-men, threatened every day with possible death from thirst, were
doing their best to lay bare the hidden secrets of an unknown region, as
arid and desolate as any the world can show."
On starting back for camp the gin refused to walk or move in any way, so
we had to pack her on Czar, making her as comfortable as possible on
Warri's blankets, with disastrous results thereto. Arrived at camp, I
found that the rock-hole was bottomed, and now quite dry. Straining the
putrid water brought by me through a flannel shirt, boiling it, adding
ashes and Epsom salts, we concocted a serviceable beverage. This, blended
with the few gallons of muddy water from the well, formed our supply,
which we looked to augment under the guidance of the gin. After
completing our work the well presented the appearance of a large
rock-hole, thirty feet deep, conical in shape, of which one-half the
contents had been dug out. This confirmed my opinion that the native
wells of these regions are nothing more than holes in the bed-rock, which
have been covered over and in by the general deposit of sand. I had no
time to observe for latitude at this spot, the position of which is fixed
merely by dead reckoning. The rock-hole lies eight miles from it to the
S.E. by E., and has no guide whatever to its situation. I christened the
well "Patience Well," and I think it was well named.
From September 8th, 9 a.m., until September 12th, 12.30 a.m., we had
worked almost continuously, only taking in turn what sleep we could
snatch when one could be spared; and the result, 140 gallons as sum
total, inclusive of mud and other matter.
We left Patience Well on the 12th, at 10 a.m., taking the woman with us.
Breaden was the only one in whose charge she would consent to be at all
calm; to him therefore was allotted the duty of looking after her. At
eleven we reached the dry well to which Warri and I had tracked the
natives. The water we were forced to use was so uninviting that I decided
to make another effort to find a supply in this locality. The gin was of
no use whatever, and would only repeat whatever we said to her - "Gabbi,"
which King Billy had understood, was wasted on her. "Gabbi, gabbi," she
repeated, waving her arm all round the horizon. Leaving the rest to
bottom the dry well, which might have water lower down, Warri and I again
started off on the tracks of a buck, and these we followed due North on
foot for four and a half hours, hoping every moment to come on a well.
Soon after starting an apparently old track joined the other, and
together they marched still North. Presently the old tracks changed into
fresh ones, and close by I found two rough sandals made of strips of
bark. One I kept, the other was too nearly worn out. There was no change
in the dreary appearance of the country; through scrubs, over stones and
sand we held our way, until Warri, who was now a little way behind,
called, "No good, no more walk!" I could see the poor boy was knocked
up, and felt little better myself; to go on did not guarantee water, and
might end in disaster, so after a short rest we retraced our steps. The
night was now dark and oppressive, so hatless and shirtless we floundered
through the spinifex, nearly exhausted from the walk, following so close
on the last few days' work. I believe that but for Warri I should have
been "bushed"; my head was muddled, and the stars not too clear. What a
joyful sight met our eyes as we crested a rise of sand - a sight almost as
reviving as the food and water we so anxiously looked forward to. Tongues
of flame shot up in the air, a fire lit by our mates, but showing that,
in spite of Warri's instinct, we had not been walking in quite the right
direction. No welcome news greeted our arrival - the well was dry, and the
native obdurate. We all agreed she was useless, and since she refused all
forms of nutriment I feared she would die on our hands, so she regained
her liberty, and fled away with a rapidity not expected in one of her
years.
My companions had felt some anxiety at our continued absence, and again I
had evidence of the cordial friendship existing between us.
With reference to the bark sandals, the use of which is not so far
known, I append an extract from "The Horn Scientific Expedition," Part
IV., where we read the following:
"SANDALS.
"Arunta Tribe.
"KURDAITCHA SHOES. - When a native for some reason desired to kill a
member of another camp or tribe, he consulted the medicine man of his
camp, and arrangements were made for a 'Kurdaitcha Luma.' . . . Both
medicine man and Kurdaitcha wore remarkable shoes.
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