I Remember Several Instances Of The Most
Cold-Blooded Smooth-Tongued Treachery, And Of The Most Extraordinary
Gullibility Of The
Natives; but I am sure that a careful observer is more
than a match for these simple children of nature,
And that he can easily
read the bad intention in their unsteady, greedy, glistening eyes.
Dec. 3. - The natives visited us very early in the morning, with their
wives and children, whom they introduced to us. There could not have been
less than 200 of them present; they were all well made, active, generally
well-looking, with an intelligent countenance: they had in fact all the
characters of the coast blacks of a good country; but without their
treacherous dispositions. I started in a north-east direction; and as we
were accompanied by the natives, I led our bullock, by the noserope,
behind my horse. After crossing a plain, we were stopped by a large sheet
of salt-water, about three or four miles broad, at the opposite side of
which a low range was visible; when Eooanberry explained that we had to
go far to the south-east and south, before we could cross the river, and
that we had to follow it down again at the other side. He expressed his
great attachment to his wife and child, and obtained leave of us to
return to his tribe, which had already retired before him. Seeing the
necessity of heading the river, which I considered to be the East
Alligator; the longitude of which was, where we first came to it, 132
degrees 40 minutes according to reckoning; I returned to the forest land,
and travelled along its belt of Pandanus, to obtain a better ground for
our cattle, and to avoid the scorching heat of the forenoon sun.
Observing some singularly formed mountains rising abruptly out of the
plains and many pillars of smoke behind them, I tried to get to them, but
was again prevented by the broad salt water. We now steered for a distant
smoke to the south-east by east, and had travelled fully seventeen miles
on, or along extensive plains, when we perceived seven natives returning
on a beaten foot-path, from the salt water to the forest. We cooeed - they
ran! But when we had passed, and Charley stopped behind alone, they came
up to him, and, having received some presents, they showed us some
miserable wells between two tea-tree groves; after which they hastened
home. Our cattle were tired and thirsty, but we could give them nothing
to drink, except about six quarts of brackish water; which fell to the
share of our bullock. The feed, however, was rich and young, and during
the night a heavy dew was deposited, Many flocks of geese came flying low
over the plains, which made us hope that water was not very distant.
Whilst we were passing the head of a small Mangrove creek, four native
dogs, started out of a shady hole; but we looked in vain for fresh water.
The plains, which were very level, with a few melon-holes, were scattered
all over with dead Limnaeas, which showed evidently, that fresh, or
slightly brackish water, covered them occasionally, and for some length
of time.
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