On Arriving At The Edge Of A Small Copse, At A Short Distance From The
Camp, We Found The Arsenal Of The Male Portion Of The Tribe.
Why they had
stacked their arms so far away from the gungales we never could make out;
but there
They were, consisting of the usual spears and shields, and, in
addition, several of the enormous swords used by these natives, of which we
had often heard, but that few of our party, except Dunmore, had ever seen.
These curious weapons are made of the heaviest iron-bark wood, are about
five feet in length, by as many inches in breadth, and about an inch thick
in the centre - rather more than less, and both edges scraped down to as
sharp an edge as the material will receive. They are slightly curved; but
the most wonderful part about them is the handle, which is so small that a
European can with difficulty squeeze three fingers into it. The mystery
is, how do they use them? for Goliath of Gath could never have wielded an
instrument as heavy as this with one hand. It is supposed that the warrior
raises the cumbrous weapon on his shield, and having got within sword's
length of his enemy, lets it drop on his head. This portion of a black's
frame is undeniably hard; but such a blow would crush it like an egg-shell;
and as he may be credited with sufficient sense to know this, it seems
difficult to understand why he should stand still and allow such a
disagreeable operation to be performed. Whether or not the use of these
weapons has been discovered since I left Australia, I am unable to say; but
certainly up to that time we who lived in their neighbourhood were unable
to appreciate the varied excellencies they doubtless possess.
We pursued our way up the Mackay River in hopes of finding some termination
to the thick scrub on the opposite bank, so that we might return to our
boat without having to thread its intricate mazes again; and in this we
were successful, finding a break in the jungle an hour before sunset, which
at once admitted us to the plain, through the centre of which ran the
Macalister, and in due course we reached our camp, where, after having a
glorious "bogey" (the Australian term for bathing) in the river, and
overhauling each other well, to see that no ticks were adhering to our
skins, we had supper, and turned in, having done little good, except
finding a road to the Mackay less tedious than the one we had taken in the
morning. The ticks that I mentioned just now, are little insects no bigger
than a pin's head when they first fasten on to you, but soon become swollen
with blood until larger than a pea. They do no harm to a man besides the
unpleasant feeling they occasion, but they almost invariably kill a dog.
Nearly all our dogs fell victims sooner or later to either the alligator or
the tick.
HOW WE EXPLORED THE MACKAY RIVER.
We now determined to carry with us enough tea, sugar, and flour to last for
a week, and to work up towards the unknown country at the head of the
Mackay, leaving the boat in its present position, under the charge of two
men. We intended to push towards the range whence both the Macalister and
the Mackay rivers drew their supply; and as the former stream in its
windings over the open plain approached within a mile of its large
neighbour, we resolved to move the boat a little further up before starting
on our new expedition. By occasionally lightening her, and dragging her
over the shallows, this was accomplished in a couple of hours, and we
finally halted at a bend in the river where the bank was high enough to
shield the boat from all observation, whilst the scrub bordering the
Mackay, standing at less than a quarter of a mile distant, the men left
behind could easily see if any considerable body of blacks moved between
the two streams, and could take the bearings of all smoke arising from
fires in the direction of the coast, so that we might visit them hereafter,
if deemed necessary. The fact of two rivers, each containing a constant
supply of water, being found in such close proximity to each other, caused
much remark, for none of us had ever observed a similar instance in
Australia, which is as a rule very deficient in permanent rivers.
We now turned our attention to getting sufficient provisions cooked to last
the exploring party for three days, as we were determined to employ the
utmost vigilance, and show as little smoke as possible, for nothing creates
such suspicion amongst the aboriginals as seeing fresh fires constantly
lighted, unless accompanied by the smoke signals, which I have described in
a former chapter. As we were utterly ignorant of the code they employed,
we resolved only to light our fires at night, and not even then unless we
found some sequestered spot where the flame would be unseen. Some of us at
once started for a large lagoon that we had passed in the morning, and
creeping up through the long grass, found its surface quite covered with
water-fowl of every description, from the black swan to the beautiful pigmy
goose. A volley, fired at a concerted signal, strewed the surface of the
lake with the dead and wounded, and we were compelled to stand idly on the
bank until the wind wafted the game ashore, for at the report of the guns
two or three heavy splashes and as many dusky forms gliding into the water
betokened that we had disturbed alligators, either having a nap, or lying
in wait for kangaroos and wallaby coming down to drink. More than one
house now stands on the margin of this lagoon, but their inhabitants are
still afraid to bathe in the broad sheet of water spread so invitingly
before them.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 27 of 31
Words from 26551 to 27566
of 31542
