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 severe frost and intense cold of last night entirely
deprived me of sleep, and I was glad when the daylight broke, though
still weary and unrefreshed.
After clearing out the well, and watering
the horses, I sent one of the boys out to watch them, and gave the other
the gun to try and shoot a wallabie, but after expending the only two
charges of slugs I had left, he returned unsuccessful. At night we all
made up our supper with the bark of the young roots of the gum-scrub. It
appears to be extensively used for food by the natives in this district,
judging from the remnants left at their encamping places. The bark is
peeled off the young roots of the eucalyptus dumosa, put into hot ashes
until nearly crisp, and then the dust being shaken off, it is pounded
between two stones and ready for use. Upon being chewed, a farinaceous
powder is imbibed from between the fibres of the bark, by no means
unpleasant in flavour, but rather sweet, and resembling the taste of
malt; how far a person could live upon this diet alone, I have no means
of judging, but it certainly appeases the appetite, and is, I should
suppose, nutritious.
April 7. - Another sleepless night from the intense cold. Upon getting up
I put a mark upon the beach to guide the overseer to our camp on his
return, then weighed out flour and baked bread for the party, as I found
it lasted much better when used stale than fresh.
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