Mosquitoes and leeches--I explain pictures--An awkward admission--My
great portrait--The stomach as a deity--The portrait a success--A
colossal statue of "H. R. H."--Fish without eyes--A sad reflection--A
strange illusion--A grave danger--I sink a well--"Universal provider"--A
significant phenomenon--Bruno as accomplice--I find Bruno dead.
I must say I was not very much troubled with mosquitoes in my mountain
home, and as I had endured dreadful torments from these insects whilst at
Port Essington and other swampy places, I had good reason to congratulate
myself. Whilst crossing some low country on one occasion I was attacked
by these wretched pests, whose bite penetrated even the clay covering
that protected my skin. Even the blacks suffered terribly, particularly
about the eyes. I, however, had taken the precaution to protect my eyes
by means of leaves and twigs. At Port Essington the mosquitoes were
remarkably large, and of a greyish colour. They flew about literally in
clouds, and it was practically impossible to keep clear of them.
The natives treated the bites with an ointment made from a kind of penny-
royal herb and powdered charcoal. Talking about pests, in some parts the
ants were even more terrible than the mosquitoes, and I have known one
variety--a reddish-brown monster, an inch long--to swarm over and
actually kill children by stinging them. Another pest was the leech. It
was rather dangerous to bathe in some of the lagoons on account of the
leeches that infested the waters. Often in crossing a swamp I would feel
a slight tickling sensation about the legs, and on looking down would
find my nether limbs simply coated with these loathsome creatures. The
remarkable thing was, that whilst the blacks readily knew when leeches
attacked them, I would be ignorant for quite a long time, until I had
grown positively faint from loss of blood. Furthermore, the blacks
seemed to think nothing of their attacks, but would simply crush them on
their persons in the most nonchalant manner. Sometimes they scorch them
off their bodies by means of a lighted stick--a kind office which Yamba
performed for me. The blacks had very few real cures for ailments, and
such as they had were distinctly curious. One cure for rheumatism was to
roll in the black, odourless mud at the edge of a lagoon, and then bask
in the blazing sun until the mud became quite caked upon the person.
The question may be asked whether I ever tried to tell my cannibals about
the outside world. My answer is, that I only told them just so much as I
thought their childish imaginations would grasp. Had I told them more, I
would simply have puzzled them, and what they do not understand they are
apt to suspect.
Thus, when I showed them pictures of horse-races and sheep farms in the
copy of the Sydney _Town and Country Journal_ which I had picked up, I
was obliged to tell them that horses were used only in warfare, whilst
sheep were used only as food. Had I spoken about horses as beasts of
burden, and told them what was done with the wool of the sheep, they
would have been quite unable to grasp my meaning, and so I should have
done myself more harm than good. They had ideas of their own about
astronomy; the fundamental "fact" being that the earth was perfectly
flat, the sky being propped up by poles placed at the edges, and kept
upright by the spirits of the departed--who, so the medicine-man said,
were constantly being sent offerings of food and drink. The Milky Way
was a kind of Paradise of souls; whilst the sun was the centre of the
whole creation.
I had often puzzled my brain for some method whereby I could convey to
these savages some idea of the magnitude of the British Empire. I always
had the _British_ Empire in my mind, not only because my sympathies
inclined that way, but also because I knew that the first friends to
receive me on my return to civilisation must necessarily be British. Over
and over again did I tell the childish savages grouped around me what a
mighty ruler was the Sovereign of the British Empire, which covered the
whole world. Also how that Sovereign _had sent me as a special
ambassador_, to describe to them the greatness of the nation of which
they formed part. Thus you will observe I never let my blacks suspect I
was a mere unfortunate, cast into their midst by a series of strange
chances. I mentioned the whole world because nothing less than this
would have done. Had I endeavoured to distinguish between the British
Empire and, say, the German, I should have again got beyond my hearers'
depth, so to speak, and involved myself in difficulties.
Half instinctively, but without motive, I refrained from mentioning that
the ruler of the British Empire was _a woman_, but this admission dropped
from me accidentally one day, and then--what a falling off was there! I
instantly recognised the mistake I had made from the contemptuous glances
of my blacks. And although I hastened to say that she was a mighty
chieftainess, upon whose dominions the sun never set; and that she was
actually the direct ruler of the blacks themselves, they repudiated her
with scorn, and contemned me for singing the praises of a mere woman. I
had to let this unfortunate matter drop for a time, but the subject was
ever present in my mind, and I wondered how I could retrieve my position
(and her Majesty's) without eating my words. At length one day Yamba and
I came across a curious rugged limestone region, which was full of caves.
Whilst exploring these we came upon a huge, flat, precipitous surface of
rock, and then--how or why, I know not--the idea suddenly occurred to me
to _draw a gigantic portrait of her Most Gracious Majesty Queen
Victoria_! At this period, I should mention, I was a recognised chief,
and periodically--once every new moon--I gave a kind of reception to my
people, and also to the neighbouring tribes. At this interesting
function I would always contrive to have some new wonder to unfold. My
visitors never outstayed their welcome, and I always managed to have an
abundance of food for them.
Well, I came upon the cave region a few weeks after my unfortunate
blunder about the Queen; and I determined to have my great portrait ready
for the next reception day. Taking some blocks of stone of handy size, I
first wetted the surface of the rock and then commenced to rub it, until
I had a pretty smooth face to work upon. This took some time, but whilst
I was doing it Yamba got ready the necessary charcoal sticks and pigments
such as the blacks decorate themselves with at _corroborees_. I had a
slight knowledge of drawing, and climbing up on some projecting stones I
commenced to draw in bold, sweeping outline, what I venture to describe
as the most extraordinary portrait of Queen Victoria on record. The
figure, which was in profile, was perhaps seven feet or eight feet high,
and of more than equally extravagant proportions in other respects. Of
course, the figure had to be represented entirely without clothing,
otherwise the blacks would simply have been puzzled. Now to describe the
portrait as much in detail as I dare. The crown was composed of rare
feathers such as only a redoubtable and cunning hunter could obtain; and
it included feathers of the lyre-bird and emu. The sceptre was a
stupendous gnarled waddy or club, such as could be used with fearful
execution amongst one's enemies. The nose was very large, because this
among the blacks indicates great endurance; whilst the biceps were
abnormally developed. In fact, I gave her Majesty as much muscle as
would serve for half-a-dozen professional pugilists or "strong men." The
stomach was much distended, and when I state this fact I am sure it will
excite much curiosity as to the reason why.
Well, as the stomach is practically the greatest deity these savages
know, and as food is often very hard to obtain, they argue that a person
with a very full stomach must necessarily be a daring and skilful hunter,
otherwise he would not be able to get much food to put into it.
This extraordinary portrait was finally daubed and decorated with
brilliant pigments and glaring splashes of yellow, red, and blue. I also
used a kind of vivid red dye obtained from the sap of a certain creeper
which was bruised between heavy stones. I spent perhaps a week or a
fortnight on this drawing (I could not give all day to it, of course);
and the only persons who knew of its existence were my own children and
women-folk. After the completion of the great portrait, I went away, and
waited impatiently for my next reception day. When the wonder-loving
blacks were again before me I told them that I had a remarkable picture
of the great British Queen to show them, and then, full of anticipation
and childish delight, they trooped after me to the spot where I had drawn
the great picture on the rocks. It is no exaggeration to say that the
crowd of cannibals stood and squatted in front of my handiwork simply
speechless with amazement. Eventually they burst out into cries of
wonderment, making curious guttural sounds with their lips, and smacking
their thighs in token of their appreciation. I pointed out every
detail--the immense size of the great Queen, and the various emblems of
her power; and at last, stepping back from the rock, I sang "God save the
Queen," the beautiful national hymn of Great Britain, which I had learned
from the two ill-fated girls, and which, you will remember, has the same
air as that of a Swiss song.
The general effect not merely removed any bad impression that might have
been created with regard to my damaging admission about the sex of the
great ruler; it more than re-established me in my old position, and I
followed up my success by assuring them that her Majesty included in her
retinue of servants a greater number of persons than was represented in
the whole tribe before me. Furthermore, I assured them that whilst the
mountain home I had built was very large (judged by their standard), the
house of Queen Victoria was big enough to hold a whole nation of blacks.
In order to give you some idea of the nervous horror I had of losing
prestige, I may tell you that, far from being satisfied with what I had
done to vindicate the great Sovereign whose special ambassador I was
supposed to be, I soon decided to give yet another demonstration which
should impress even those who were inclined to cavil--if any such
existed. I pointed out that whilst the Queen, great and powerful and
beloved ruler though she was, could not lead her warriors into battle in
person, yet she was represented in war time by her eldest son, who was a
most redoubtable warrior and spear-thrower, and acted on behalf of his
illustrious mother on all occasions when she could not appear. But as
mention of the Prince of Wales called for a demonstration of _his_
personality also, I determined to make another experiment in
portraiture,--this time in the direction of sculpture. I think it was
having come across a very damp country, abounding in plastic clay, that
put this idea into my head. First of all, then, I cut down a stout young
sapling, which, propped up in the ground, served as the mainstay of my
statue; and from it I fastened projecting branches for the arms and legs.
Round this framework I built up my figure with blocks of clay; and at
length, after, perhaps, three or four weeks' industrious modelling, I
completed a statue of his Royal Highness which measured about seven feet
six inches in height. The body and limbs were of abnormal development,
much on the lines of my representation of his august mother. Fuller
details would be interesting, but hardly edifying. This statue I
"unveiled" at another of my monthly receptions, and, judged by its
effect, it was even a greater success than the colossal portrait of the
Queen. A monster _corroboree_ was held alongside the Prince of Wales's
statue, but, unfortunately, he went to pieces in a day or two, when the
fierce sun beat down upon the clay, and cracked it. This gradual
disintegration of the great ruler's deputy vastly amused the blacks, and
I eventually had to hasten the Prince's end, lest their mirth should
compromise my dignity.
You will hardly be surprised when I tell you that the blacks looked to me
for everything. I was judge, wonder-worker, and arbitrator. Often they
would pick up one of my possessions, and, whilst not exactly coveting it,
they would ask for one like it.
Take, for example, the reed flutes which, when played by me, were such a
source of joy to the blacks and their children. Well, I was soon called
upon to make flutes for the natives, which I did out of long reeds; but
these instruments only had two holes in them at first, as the blacks
could not play them when other holes were added. The great drawback to
these flutes was that the reed dried very quickly and became useless for
musical purposes; so I was kept pretty busy, more especially as I did not
want to create jealousy by refusing some and gratifying others.
Although the immediate country in which I established my home was fertile
and extremely rich in tropical vegetation, the adjoining ranges were in
striking contrast to it; many districts being rugged and slaty and
painfully difficult to traverse on foot. There were, however, many
interesting natural curiosities which beguiled the time in travelling.
Once I came across a certain kind of spider, whose web was so strong and
thick that it only broke under considerable pressure from the finger. The
spider itself was fully two inches or three inches long, and had
formidable claws. Inland fishing, too, I found extremely interesting. Of
course, the inland blacks have a very different method of fishing from
that adopted by the coast tribes. Often the inland people would build a
fire on the banks of the lagoon, and throw something into the water to
attract the fish to the surface. When the fish rose they would promptly
be speared. Some of them weighed as much as ten pounds, and proved
excellent eating. The blacks themselves never inquired how the fish came
into these inland holes; it was enough for them to know they were there
and were good eating. The usual fish-hooks were of bone; and although I
experimented with hooks of gold and copper I found them practically
useless, and, in the long run, reverted to articles of native
manufacture. In a certain limestone country, which I struck in the
course of my wanderings, I discovered some extraordinary caves with water-
holes, in which blind fish existed. They certainly had indications of
eyes, but these were hidden beneath a kind of permanent skin covering. In
any case they would have had no use for eyes, because the water-holes
were situated in the most profound darkness. In other caves I discovered
quantities of extraordinary animal-bones, probably of prehistoric origin.
If I have omitted to mention Bruno in connection with every incident
related in these pages, it must not be supposed that my faithful
companion did not play an important part in my daily life.
He was always with me; but it must be remembered that he was now growing
old, and the natives around me were by no means so keen to possess him as
the tribes of Carpentaria had been in the days gone by.
All kinds of extraordinary incidents befell me whilst on the
"walk-about." Many a time have I been deceived by mirage. One most
complete deception befell me one day whilst Yamba and I were tramping
over a stretch of low, sandy country. Suddenly I fancied I descried the
boundless ocean in the distance, and with my usual impetuosity rushed
frantically forward in the firm belief that at last we had reached the
coast. Yamba explained that it was only a mirage, but I would not stay
to listen, and must have gone miles before I gave up in disgust and
returned to my patient wife. This brings me to another and perhaps still
more extraordinary illusion. One day whilst Yamba and I were passing
through one of those eternal regions of sand-hills and spinifex which are
the despair of the Australian explorer, I suddenly saw in the distance
what I was certain was _a flock of sheep_. There they were
apparently--scores of them, browsing calmly in a depression in a fertile
patch where most probably water existed.
In an instant the old desire to return to civilisation, which I had
thought buried long ago, reasserted itself, and I dashed forward at full
speed yelling back to Yamba, "Sheep, sheep--where sheep are, men are.
Civilisation at last!" When at length I had got near enough for the
creatures to notice me, you may imagine my disgust and disappointment
when quite a little forest of tall heads went high into the air, and _a
flock of emus_ raced off across the country at full speed. These huge
birds had had their heads down feeding, and not unnaturally, in the
distance, I had mistaken them for sheep.
I think every one is aware that prolonged droughts are of very common
occurrence in Central Australia, and are mainly responsible for the
migratory habits of the aborigines--particularly those of the remote
deserts in the interior. The most terrible drought I myself experienced
whilst in my mountain home was one that extended over three years, when
even the lagoon in front of my dwelling, which I had thought practically
inexhaustible, dried up, with the most appalling results. Just
think--never a drop of rain falling for over three long years, with a
scorching sun darting down its rays almost every day! During this
terrible period the only moisture the parched earth received was in the
form of the heavy dews that descended in the night. Even these, however,
only benefited the vegetation where any continued to exist, and did not
contribute in the slightest degree to the natural water supply so
necessary for the sustenance of human and animal life. The results were
terrible to witness. Kangaroos and snakes; emus and cockatoos; lizards
and rats--all lay about either dead or dying; and in the case of animals
who had survived, they seemed no longer to fear their natural enemy, man.
Day by day as I saw my lagoon grow gradually smaller, I felt that unless
I took some steps to ensure a more permanent supply, my people must
inevitably perish, and I with them. Naturally enough, they looked to me
to do something for them, and provide some relief from the effects of the
most terrible drought which even they had ever experienced. Almost daily
discouraging reports were brought to me regarding the drying up of all
the better-known water-holes all round the country, and I was at length
obliged to invite all and sundry to use my own all but exhausted lagoon.
At length things became so threatening that I decided to sink a well.
Choosing a likely spot near the foot of a precipitous hill, I set to work
with only Yamba as my assistant. Confidently anticipating the best
results, I erected a crude kind of windlass, and fitted it with a green-
hide rope and a bucket made by scooping out a section of a tree. My
digging implements consisted solely of a home-made wooden spade and a
stone pick. Yamba manipulated the windlass, lowering and raising the
bucket and disposing of the gravel which I sent to the surface, with the
dexterity of a practised navvy. What with the heat, the scarcity of
water, and the fact that not one of the natives could be relied upon to
do an hour's work, it was a terribly slow and wearying business; but
Yamba and I stuck to it doggedly day after day.
At the end of a week I had sunk a narrow shaft to a depth of twelve or
fourteen feet, and then to my infinite satisfaction saw every indication
that water was to be found a little lower down. In the course of the
following week I hit upon a spring, and then I felt amply rewarded for
all the trouble I had taken. Even when the lagoon was perfectly dry, and
only its parched sandy bed to be seen, the supply from our little well
continued undiminished; and it proved more than enough for our wants
during the whole of the drought. I even ventured to provide the
distressed birds and animals with some means of quenching their
insupportable thirst. A few yards from the well I constructed a large
wooden trough, which I kept filled with water; and each day it was
visited by the most extraordinary flocks of birds of every size and
variety of plumage--from emus down to what looked like humming-birds.
Huge snakes, ten and fifteen feet long, bustled the kangaroos away from
the life-giving trough; and occasionally the crowd would be so excessive
that some of the poor creatures would have to wait hours before their
thirst was satisfied,--and even die on the outer fringe of the waiting
throng. I remember that even at the time the scene struck me as an
amazing and unprecedented one, for there was I doing my best to regulate
the traffic, so to speak, sending away the birds and animals and reptiles
whose wants had been satisfied, and bringing skins full of water to those
who had fallen down from exhaustion, and were in a fair way to die. As a
rule, the creatures took no notice whatever of me, but seemed to realise
in some instinctive way that I was their benefactor. Of course I had to
cover over the top of the well itself, otherwise it would have been
simply swamped with the carcasses of eager animals and birds.
But, it may be asked, why did I take the trouble to supply everything
that walked and flew and crawled with water when water was so precious? A
moment's thought will furnish the answer. If I suffered all the animals,
birds, and reptiles to die, I myself would be without food, and then my
last state would be considerably worse than the first.
I think the snakes were the most ungrateful creatures of all. Sometimes
they would deliberately coil themselves up in the trough itself, and so
prevent the birds from approaching. I always knew when something of this
kind had happened, because of the frightful screeching and general uproar
set up by the indignant birds--that is to say, such as had the power to
screech left. I would hurry to the spot and drag out the cause of the
trouble with a forked stick. I never killed him, because there were
already enough of his kind dead on every side. The very trees and grass
died; and in this originated another almost equally terrible peril--the
bush fires, of which more hereafter. Talking about snakes, one day I had
a narrow escape from one of these ungrateful reptiles. A number of baby
snakes had swarmed into the trough, and I was in the very act of angrily
removing them when I heard a shout of horror from Yamba. I swung round,
instinctively leaping sideways as I did so, and there, rearing itself
high in the air, was an enormous snake, fully twenty feet long. Yamba,
without a moment's hesitation, aimed a tremendous blow at it and smashed
its head.
The drought was productive of all kinds of curious and remarkable
incidents. The emus came in great flocks to the drinking-trough, and
some of them were so far gone that they fell dead only a few yards from
the fount of life. I picked up a great number of these huge birds, and
made their skins into useful bed coverings, rugs, and even articles of
clothing. When this terrible visitation was at its height Yamba made a
curious suggestion to me. Addressing me gravely one night she said, "You
have often told me of the Great Spirit whom your people worship; He can
do all things and grant all prayers. Can you not appeal to Him now to
send us water?" It was a little bit awkward for me, but as I had often
chatted to my wife about the Deity, and told her of His omnipotence and
His great goodness to mankind, I was more or less obliged to adopt this
suggestion. Accordingly she and I knelt down together one night in our
dwelling, and offered up an earnest prayer to God that He would send
water to the afflicted country. Next morning that which seemed to me a
miracle had been wrought. Incredible though it may appear, all the
creeks, which until the previous night had been mere dry watercourses for
an untold number of months, were rippling and running with the
much-needed water, and we were saved all further anxiety, at any rate for
the time. There may be, however, some scientific explanation of this
extraordinary occurrence.
No sooner had we recovered from the delight caused by this phenomenally
sudden change than the rain came--such rain! and the tremendous tropical
downpour lasted for several weeks. The country soon reverted to
something like its normal appearance.
The bush fires were extinguished, and even my lagoon came into existence
again.
Talking about bush fires, we often saw them raging madly and sublimely in
the mountains. They would burn for weeks at a stretch, and devastate
hundreds of miles of country. For ourselves, we always prepared for such
emergencies by "ringing" our dwelling--that is to say, laying bare a
certain stretch of country in a perfect circle around us. Often we were
almost choked by the intense heat which the wind occasionally wafted to
us, and which, combined with the blazing sun and scarcity of water,
rendered life positively intolerable.
I now wish to say a few words about Bruno--a few last sorrowful
words--because at this period he was growing feeble, and, indeed, had
never been the same since the death of Gibson. Still, I was constantly
making use of his sagacity to impress the blacks. My usual custom was to
hide some article (such as my tomahawk), near the house in Bruno's
presence, and then start off on a tramp accompanied by the blacks.
After we had gone a few miles I would suddenly call a halt, and pretend
to my companions that I had forgotten something. Then I would order
Bruno to go back and fetch it, with many mysterious whisperings. The
dear, sagacious brute always understood what I wanted him to do, and in
the course of perhaps an hour or two he would come and lay the article at
my feet, and accept the flattering adulation of my black companions with
the utmost calmness and indifference. Bruno never forgot what was
required of him when we encountered a new tribe of blacks. He would
always look to me for his cue, and when he saw me commence my acrobatic
feats, he too would go through his little repertoire, barking and
tumbling and rolling about with wonderful energy.
His quaint little ways had so endeared him to me that I could not bear to
think of anything happening to him. On one occasion, when going through
a burning, sandy desert, both he and I suffered terribly from the hot,
loose sand which poured between our toes and caused us great suffering.
Poor Bruno protested in the only way he could, which was by stopping from
time to time and giving vent to the most mournful howls. Besides, I
could tell from the gingerly way he put his feet down that the burning
sand would soon make it impossible for him to go any farther. I
therefore made him a set of moccasins out of kangaroo skin, and tied them
on his feet. These he always wore afterwards when traversing similar
deserts, and eventually he became so accustomed to them that as soon as
we reached the sand he would come to me and put up his paws appealingly
to have his "boots" put on!
But now age began to tell upon him; he was getting stiff in his limbs,
and seldom accompanied me on hunting expeditions. He seemed only to want
to sleep and drowse away the day. He had been a splendid kangaroo
hunter, and took quite an extraordinary amount of pleasure in this
pursuit. He would run down the biggest kangaroo and "bail him up"
unerringly under a tree; and whenever the doomed animal tried to get away
Bruno would immediately go for his tail, and compel him to stand at bay
once more until I came up to give the _coup de grace_. Of course, Bruno
received a nasty kick sometimes and occasionally a bite from a snake,
poisonous and otherwise. He was not a young dog when I had him first;
and I had now made up my mind that he could not live much longer. He
paid but little attention in these days to either Yamba or myself, and in
this condition he lingered on for a year or more.
One morning I went into the second hut--which we still called Gibson's,
by the way, although he had never lived there--when to my dismay and
horror (notwithstanding that I was prepared for the event), I beheld my
poor Bruno laid out stiff and stark on the little skin rug that Gibson
had originally made for him. I do not think I knew how much I loved him
until he was gone. As I stood there, with the tears coursing down my
cheeks, all the strange events of my wondrous career seemed to rise
before my mind--events in which poor dead Bruno always took an active
part. He was with me on the wreck; he was with me on the island; he was
with me in all my wanderings and through all my sufferings and triumphs.
He got me out of many a scrape, and his curious little eccentricities,
likes, and dislikes afforded me never-ending delight. But now he was
gone the way of all flesh; and although I had expected this blow for many
months, I do not think this mitigated my poignant grief. Yamba, too, was
terribly grieved at his death, for she had become most devotedly attached
to him and he to her. I rolled the body of the faithful creature in a
kind of preservative earth and then in an outer covering of bark. This
done I laid him on a shelf in one of the caves where the wild dogs could
not get at him, and where the body of Gibson, similarly treated, had also
been placed.