Journals Of Expeditions Of Discovery Into Central Australia And Overland From Adelaide To King George's Sound In The Years 1840-1: Sent By The Colonists Of South Australia By Eyre, Edward John
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The Shots, Or The Blue Light, Had
Effectually Frightened Them.
They had, however, in their turn, produced
as great an effect upon me, and had at least deprived me of one night's
rest.
September 20. - Rising very early I set to work, with an axe, to clear
away the bushes from around my tent. I now discovered that the natives
had been concealed behind a large tea-tree not twenty yards from the
tent; there were numerous foot-marks there, and the remains of
fire-sticks which they had brought with them, for a native rarely moves
at night without fire.
By working hard I cleared a large circle with a radius of from thirty to
forty yards, and then piling up all the bushes outside and around the
tent, which was in the centre, I was completely fortified, and my sable
friends could no longer creep upon me to steal without my hearing them. I
spent great part of the day in charting, and took a few angles from the
tent, but did not dare to venture far away. At night, when it was dark, I
mounted guard with my gun for three hours, walking round outside the
tent, and firing off my gun before I lay down, which I did with my
clothes on, ready to get up at a moment's notice. Nothing, however,
disturbed me.
September 21. - I had been occupied during the greater part of the day in
charting, and in the evening was just shouldering my gun to mount guard
again, when I was delighted to see Mr. Scott returning with the dray, and
the party all safe.
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