Charley Saw A Shoal Of Porpoises In It When He Went
Down The River To Fetch The Horses.
Wishing to ascertain how far the salt
water extended, and whether any fresh water lagoons were near us, I
Took
Charley, and followed a foot-path of the natives which led up Cycas
Creek, and passed a succession of Cycas groves, of tea-tree forest with
bloodwood and white-gum, and some Cypress pine thickets. After seven
miles, the salt water ceased, and a ledge of rock separated it from a
fine pool of slightly brackish water, on which some natives were
encamped, but they left the place directly we made our appearance. I
crossed, and found on the left side a fine rocky lagoon, above the level
of the water in the creek. After paying a visit to the deserted camp, we
returned to our companions, made our dinner on tainted emu meat, reloaded
our bullocks and horses, and travelled by moonlight up to the lagoon.
About three miles before we reached it, we were obliged to leave our old
bullock, as he refused to walk any farther: but Mr. Calvert and Brown
brought him next morning to the camp.
As we passed the Cycas groves, some of the dry fruit was found and tasted
by several of my companions, upon whom it acted like a strong emetic,
resembling in this particular the fruit of Zamia spiralis, (R. Br.) of
New South Wales. The natives, at this season, seemed to live principally
on the seeds of Pandanus spiralis, (R. Br.) and Cycas; but both evidently
required much preparation to destroy their deleterious properties. At the
deserted camp of the natives, which I visited yesterday, I saw half a
cone of the Pandanus covered up in hot ashes, large vessels (koolimans)
filled with water in which roasted seed-vessels were soaking;
seed-vessels which had been soaked, were roasting on the coals, and large
quantities of them broken on stones, and deprived of their seeds. This
seems to show that, in preparing the fruit, when ripe, for use, it is
first baked in hot ashes, then soaked in water to obtain the sweet
substance contained between its fibres, after which it is put on the
coals and roasted to render it brittle when it is broken to obtain the
kernels.
I also observed that seeds of Cycas were cut into very thin slices, about
the size of a shilling, and these were spread out carefully on the ground
to dry, after which, (as I saw in another camp a few days later) it
seemed that the dry slices are put for several days in water, and, after
a good soaking, are closely tied up in tea-tree bark to undergo a
peculiar process of fermentation.
The Cycas disappeared where the fresh water commenced; and it seemed to
be confined to the sandy soil near the salt water.
Sept. 17. - I stopped at Cycas Creek, to allow our old bullock to recover,
as it was easier for us to drive him than to carry his meat, heavily
laden as our other bullocks were.
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