As We Approached We Perceived A Greyish-Looking Form On A Large
Limb About Ten Feet From The Ground, And
A closer inspection revealed to us
that it was unmistakably the body of a white man, rolled up in tea-
Tree
bark, and kept in its position by fastenings of split cane. We could not
examine the corpse very minutely, for it was too offensive; but from the
portions of the face that still remained, and the long blonde locks and red
beard, we satisfied ourselves that the poor wanderer was not one of the
'Eva's' crew; indeed, we judged that his death must have taken place some
time before the loss of that vessel. We were much pleased to observe the
respect with which the natives had treated the remains, and as they think
that exposure either on a platform or in a tree is the most honourable way
in which a corpse can be disposed of, we left the body as we found it, and
returned to the camp, where we passed the night.
Our damper was now at an end, and we had no flour with us, so made up our
minds to return to the boat. On talking the matter over, it seemed quite
clear that the shipwrecked men had never been thrown on this part of the
coast, and that any further exploration would only be lost time. On the
following morning we presented the tribe with our knives, and some matches,
and taking a friendly leave of them, started for the Macalister,
accompanied by two of the warriors.
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