But To Splash About With
An Unlimited Number Of Buckets Of Water Ready To Hand, To Be Got By The
Simple Dipping Of A Billy-Can - This Was Joy Indeed!
This luxury we
enjoyed from October 5th to October 10th, and every day the camels were
brought to water, and with this and the green feed visibly fattened
before our eyes.
So soon as we had proved the supply of our new watering-place, I had
intended giving our guide his liberty. However, he forestalled this by
cleverly making his escape. For want of a tree, his chain had been
secured to the iron ring of a heavy pack-bag. His food and water were
given him in empty meat-tins. With the sharp edge of one of these he had
worked so industriously during the night that by morning he had a neat
little circle of leather cut out of the bag round the ring.
With a blanket on which he had been lying, he covered his cunning trick
and awaited his opportunity. It soon came; when our attention was fixed
on the building of a shade, and, in broad daylight, he sneaked away from
us without a sign or sound, taking with him some three feet of light
chain on his ankle. What a hero he must be thought by his
fellow-tribesmen! and doubtless that chain, which he could easily break
on a stone with an iron tomahawk, will be treasured for many years to
come. Had he not been in such a hurry he would have returned to his
family laden with presents, for we had set aside several articles
designed for him.
Our camp was specially built to protect us from the flies, and consisted
of a framework of ti-tree poles and branches, roofed with grass and
pig-face; under this we slung our mosquito-nets and enjoyed perfect
peace. A few days in camp are by no means idle ones, for numerous are the
jobs to be done - washing and mending clothes, patching up boots and hats,
hair cutting, diary writing, plotting our course, arranging photograph
plates (the majority of which were, alas! spoilt by the heat), mending a
camera cracked by the sun, making hobble-straps, mending and stuffing
saddles, rearranging packs cleaning firearms, and other like occupations.
The heat was extreme; too great for my little thermometer which
registered up to 140 (degrees) F., and intensified by hot winds and
"Willy-Willies" (sometimes of great violence), which greatly endangered
our camp. Godfrey excelled himself in the cooking department, and our
usual diet of "tinned dog" was agreeably varied by small pigeons, which
came in numbers to drink - pretty little slate-grey birds with tufts on
their heads, common enough in Australia. Of these we shot over fifty, and,
as well, a few of the larger bronzewing pigeons. The tufted birds come to
water just after daylight and just before sundown, and so are more easily
shot than the bronzewing. Throughout the day, galahs, wee-jugglers,
parakeets, diamond-sparrows, and an occasional hawk or crow, came to the
spring, evidently a favourite resort. Curiously enough, but few native
camps were to be seen, nor is this the first time that I have noticed that
the best waters are least used. The Australian aboriginal is not usually
credited with much thought for the morrow. These desert people, however,
have some provident habits, for first the small native wells are used, and
only when these are exhausted are the more permanent waters resorted to.
As an instance of their powers of following a "spoor," it may be
mentioned that on several occasions our captive suddenly darted off at a
tangent with eyes to ground, and then started digging his heel in the sand
to find where a lizard or iguana was that he had tracked to his hole.
Warri, amongst his other accomplishments, was most useful as a retriever
of any wounded pigeon; he would hunt about until he spotted a fresh track,
and before long had captured the bird. Any one who has noticed the number
of hen-tracks in a poultry yard will appreciate this delicate performance.
Warri, I am sure, would have been invaluable to Sherlock Holmes.
Pleasant as our camp was we could not stay too long, for we still had a
considerable tract of unknown country before us. As the result of
numerous observations I make the position of Helena Spring to be lat. 21
degrees, 20 minutes 30 seconds South, and (by dead reckoning) long. 126
degrees 20 minutes East.
From the native I extracted the following words, which I consider
reliable:
English. Aboriginal.
Eagle Hawk Gunderu
Gum tree Waaldi
Sand Nuah
Spinifex Godadyuda,
* Fire or Smoke Warru
* Water Gabbi
* Dog Pappa
[* The same as used by natives at Empress Spring.]
CHAPTER XIII
FROM HELENA SPRING TO THE SOUTHESK TABLELANDS.
On October 11th we reluctantly left the "Diamond of the Desert" behind
us, travelling in a N.E. by N. direction over the interminable
sand-ridges, crossing a greater extent of burnt country than we had yet
seen, and finally camping on the top of a high ridge so as to catch any
breeze that the night might favour us with.
We made a long march that day of eighteen miles a very creditable stage
in such peculiarly configurated country. The camels had so benefited by
their rest and feed that it made little difference to them that they had
nothing to eat that night; they were well content to lie round the camp
all night and chew the cud. I have often noticed how much camels like
society; under favourable conditions - that is to say when travelling in
good camel-country like the Southern goldfields - they will feed for an
hour or so before dark, then slowly make their way with clattering
hobble-chains and clanging bells back to the camp-fire, and there, with
many grunts of satisfaction, lie peacefully until just before daylight,
when they go off for another feed.
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