GAUSE OF HOSTILITY OF THE NATIVES - WELL SUNK UNSUCCESSFULLY - OVERSEER
SENT TO THE EAST - THE SCOTT EXAMINED - ROCK WALLABIE - OVERSEER'S
RETURN - ANOTHER VISIT TO LAKE TORRENS - BOGGY CHARACTER OF ITS
BED - EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS OF MIRAGE AND REFRACTION - RETURN TO THE
CAMP - SUPPLY OF WATER EXHAUSTED - LEAVE THE DEPOT - THE MUNDY - THE
BURR - MOUNT SERLE - LAKE TORRENS TO THE EAST - MELANCHOLY PROSPECTS.
August 16. - UPON reaching the camp the extraordinary behaviour of the
natives was soon explained to me. At the time when I left the depot on
the 11th of August, in giving the overseer general directions for his
guidance, I had among other matters requested him, if he found any
natives in the neighbourhood, to try and get one up to the camp and
induce him to remain until my return, that we might, if possible, gain
some information as to the nature of the country or the direction of the
waters. In endeavouring to carry out my wishes, it seems he had one day
come across two or three natives in the plain, to whom he gave chase when
they ran away. The men escaped, but he came up with one of the females
and took her a prisoner to the camp, where he kept her for a couple of
days, but could gain no information from her; she either could not be
understood, or would not tell where there was water, although when signs
were made to her on the subject, she pointed to the east and to the
north-west. After keeping her for two days, during which, with the
exception of being a prisoner, she had been kindly treated, she was let
go with the present of a shirt and handkerchief.
It was to revenge this aggression that the natives had now assembled; for
which I could not blame them, nor could I help regretting that the
precipitancy of my overseer should have placed me in a position which
might possibly bring me into collision with the natives, and occasion a
sacrifice of life; an occurrence I should deplore most deeply under any
circumstances, but which would be doubly lamentable when I knew that my
own party had committed the first act of aggression.
The number of natives said to have been seen altogether, including women
and children, was between fifty and sixty, and though they had yet
actually committed no overt act against us, with the exception of trying
to steal upon myself and the native boy as we returned; yet they had
established themselves in the close vicinity of our encampment, and
repeatedly exhibited signs of defiance, such as throwing dust into the
air, shouting, and threatening with their weapons, and once or twice, the
evening before my arrival, crossing within a very short distance of the
tents, as if for the purpose of reconnoitring our position and strength;
I determined, however, nothing but the last extremity should ever induce
me to act on the defensive. [Note 6: "And they cried out, and cast off
their clothes, and threw dust into the air." - Acts xxii. 23.]
When on my return to the depot, I had seen the natives creeping after me
with their spears, I and the native boy at once halted, turned round and
went slowly towards them, upon this they retreated. They would see by
this that we did not fear them, and as the party at the camp had been
increased in number by our return, I thought they might probably be more
cautious in their hostile demonstrations, which for the present was the
case, for we saw nothing more of them for some time.
During my absence, the overseer, according to my instructions, had put a
party of men to dig for water in the bed of the creek, about four miles
from the depot, in a westerly direction and down upon the plains. They
were busy when I arrived at the depot; the soil already dug through had
been a very hard gravel, but as yet no water had been found, they had got
to a depth of about ten feet; but from the indurated character of the
soil were proceeding very slowly.
I was, however, too much fatigued to go and inspect the work immediately,
the boy and myself as well as the horses being completely worn out. We
had ridden in the last five days and a half, about two hundred miles, and
walked about twenty up and down rocky and precipitous creeks, whilst, for
the last two nights before our arrival we had scarcely been off the
horses' back.
On the 17th, which was dreadfully hot, I went in the afternoon to see
what progress was being made at the well, and found that only two feet
had been dug in the last twenty-four hours, whilst just as I arrived the
men came to a solid mass of rock, and could sink no further; I at once
ordered them to return to the camp, as I did not think it worth while to
make further attempts in so unkindly a soil, and indeed I was unwilling
to have my little party too much divided in the neighbourhood of so many
natives. The men themselves were very glad to get back to the camp,
having been apprehensive of an attack for the last two or three days.
August 18. - This morning I sent off the overseer and a native boy to the
eastward, to look for water in the watercourses I had been at on the 5th
of August, the Scott not having then been discovered; they would now be
thirty-six miles nearer water than any I was acquainted with at that
time, and would consequently be less hurried and embarrassed in their
movements than I was.
