One
Of Them Had A Shawl And Neckerchief Of English Manufacture:
And another
carried an iron tomahawk, which he said he got from north-west by north.
They knew Pichenelumbo (Van Diemen's Gulf), and pointed to the north-west
by north, when we asked for it.
I made them various presents: and they
gave us some of their ornaments and bunches of goose feathers in return,
but showed the greatest reluctance in parting with their throwing sticks
(wommalas.) They were inclined to theft, and I had to mount Brown on
horseback to keep them out of our camp.
Nov. 27. - The natives returned very early to our camp, and took the
greatest notice of what we were eating, but would not taste anything we
offered them. When Brown returned with our bullock, the beast rushed at
them, and pursued them for a great distance, almost goring one of their
number.
We travelled about three miles and a half north-east, but had to go
fairly over ten miles of ground. We followed the foot-path of the natives
for about two miles, passing over some scrubby ridges into a series of
plains, which seemed to be boundless to the N.W. and N.N.W. A broad deep
channel of fresh water covered with Nymphaeas and fringed with Pandanus,
intercepted our course; and I soon found that it formed the outlet of one
of those remarkable swamps which I have described on the preceding
stages. We turned to the E. and E.S.E. following its outline, in order
either to find a crossing place, or to head it. The natives were very
numerous, and employing themselves either in fishing or burning the grass
on the plains, or digging for roots. I saw here a noble fig-tree, under
the shade of which seemed to have been the camping place of the natives
for the last century. It was growing at the place where we first came to
the broad outlet of the swamp. About two miles to the eastward, this
swamp extended beyond the reach of sight, and seemed to form the whole
country, of the remarkable and picturesque character of which it will be
difficult to convey a correct idea to the reader. Its level bed was
composed of a stiff bluish clay, without vegetation, mostly dry, and
cracked by the heat of the sun; but its depressions were still moist, and
treacherously boggy; in many parts of this extensive level, rose isolated
patches, or larger island-like groves of Pandanus intermixed with
drooping tea-trees, and interwoven with Ipomaeas, or long belts of
drooping tea-trees, in the shade of which reaches of shallow water,
surrounded by a rich sward of grasses of the most delicate verdure, had
remained. Thousands of ducks and geese occupied these pools, and the
latter fed as they waded through the grass. We travelled for a long time
through groves of drooping tea-trees, which grew along the outline of the
swamps, but using great caution in consequence of its boggy nature.
Several times I wished to communicate with the natives who followed us,
but, every time I turned my horse's head, they ran away; however, finding
my difficulties increased, whilst attempting to cross the swamp, I
dismounted and walked up to one of them, and taking his hand, gave him a
sheet of paper, on which I wrote some words, giving him to understand, as
well as I could, that he had nothing to fear as long as he carried the
paper. By this means I induced him to walk with me, but considerably in
advance of my train, and especially of the bullock; he kept manfully near
me, and pointed out the sounder parts of the swamp, until we came to a
large pool, on which were a great number of geese, when he gave me to
understand that he wished Brown to go and shoot them; for these natives,
as well as those who visited us last night, were well acquainted with the
effects of fire arms.
We encamped at this pool, and the natives flocked round us from every
direction. Boys of every age, lads, young men and old men too, came,
every one armed with his bundle of goose spears, and his throwing stick.
They observed, with curious eye, everything we did, and made long
explanations to each other of the various objects presented to their
gaze. Our eating, drinking, dress, skin, combing, boiling, our blankets,
straps, horses, everything, in short, was new to them, and was earnestly
discussed, particularly by one of the old men, who amused us with his
drollery and good humour in trying to persuade each of us to give him
something. They continually used the words "Perikot, Nokot, Mankiterre,
Lumbo Lumbo, Nana Nana Nana," all of which we did not understand till
after our arrival at Port Essington, where we learned that they meant
"Very good, no good, Malays very far." Their intonation was extremely
melodious, some other words, the meaning of which we could not make out,
were "Kelengeli, Kongurr, Verritimba, Vanganbarr, Nangemong,
Maralikilla;" the accent being always on the first syllable of the word,
and all the vowels short.
Nov. 28. - Our good friends, the natives, were with us again very early in
the morning; they approached us in long file, incessantly repeating the
words above mentioned, Perikot, Nokot, etc. which they seemed to consider
a kind of introduction. After having guided us over the remaining part of
the swamp to the firm land, during which they gave us the most evident
proofs of their skill in spearing geese - they took their leave of us and
returned; when I again resumed my course to the northward. I understood
from the natives that a large lake, or deep water, existed at the head of
the swamp, far to the east and north-east. We travelled about nine miles
north by east, to lat. 12 degrees 38 minutes 41 seconds.
A foot-path of the natives led us through an intricate tea-tree swamp, in
which the rush of waters had uprooted the trees, and left them strewed in
every direction, which rendered the passage exceedingly difficult.
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