The
Fruit Was Extremely Refreshing; The Envelope, However, Contained Such An
Acrid Juice That It Ate Into And Discoloured My Skin, And Raised Blisters
Wherever It Touched It:
These blisters were not only followed by a simple
excoriation, but by a deep and painful ulceration.
In the forest, we met
with some few small Seaforthia palms, the young shoots of which we
obtained with great difficulty, not then knowing how easily the natives
strip them of the surrounding leaves and leafstalks. I followed a a well
beaten foot-path of the natives to the northward, crossed a creek, in the
mangrove swamp of which another horse was bogged, which we extricated
after great exertion; and, after two or three miles, came to a large
fresh-water swamp (Marair) on which we encamped. The sun had long set,
and our cattle, as well as ourselves, were miserably tired. We were here
visited by a tribe of natives, who were well acquainted with the
settlement; they were all friendly, and willing to assist us; and many of
them spoke very tolerable English. One of them, apparently the chief of
the tribe, though a hunchback, named "Bill White," promised to guide us
to the settlement. He gave us to understand that we had come too far to
the northward, and that we had to go to the south-west, in order to head
Port Essington, and to follow its west coast, in order to arrive at
Victoria. We were, in fact, at Raffles Bay. The natives knew every body
in Victoria, and did not cease to give us all the news; to which we most
willingly listened. They fetched water for us from a great distance, and
gave us some Murnatt, which was extremely welcome. Perceiving the state
of exhaustion and depression in which we were, they tried to cheer us
with their corrobori songs, which they accompanied on the Eboro, a long
tube of bamboo, by means of which they variously modulated their voices.
I may mention that we experienced a heavy thunder-storm during the
afternoon.
Dec. 17. - We started, with a willing guide, for the goal of our journey,
and travelled to the south-west over a hilly country, covered with groves
of the Livistona palm, which, as we proceeded became mixed with
Seaforthia (the real cabbage-palm). A fine large creek, containing a
chain of large water-holes went to the north-east, and disembogued
probably into Bremer's Bay. We followed it for three or four miles
towards its head; and, when crossing it, we had a very heavy
thunder-storm; at the earliest hour we had ever witnessed one. The
Seaforthia palm because very abundant, and at last the forest was formed
entirely of it, with trees of every size. Our guide showed us how we
could easily obtain the young shoots, by splitting the leaves and
leafstalks; and we enjoyed a fine meal of the cabbage. Our bullock
refused to go any farther, and, as I then knew that the settlement was
not very distant, I unloaded him, and covered his packsaddle and load
with tarpaulings, and left him to recruit for a few days; when I intended
to send for him.
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