I make a perambulator--Meeting with whites--A dreadful habit--The miracle
of Moses--Preparing a demonstration--An expectant audience--Yamba growing
feeble--One tie snapped--Yamba's pathetic efforts--Vain hopes--Yamba
dying--Nearing the end--My sole desire--A mass of gold--I seek trousers
and shirt--An interesting greeting--A startling question--Towards Mount
Margaret--The French Consul--I reach London.
I always felt instinctively that any attempt at missionary enterprise on
my part would be dangerous, and might besides afford jealous medicine-men
and other possible enemies an excellent opportunity of undermining my
influence.
Sometimes, however, when all the tribe was gathered together, I would
bring up the subject of cannibalism, and tell them that the Great Spirit
they feared so much had left with me a written message forbidding all
feasting off the bodies of human beings. The "written message" I
referred to on these occasions was my old Bible. Of course the blacks
failed to understand its purport as a book, having no written language of
their own; but my manner and words served to impress them.
My natives seemed ever to manifest the keenest interest in the accounts I
gave them of the wonderful resources of civilisation; but experience
showed that I must adapt my descriptions to the intellect of my hearers.
For example, I used to tell them that in the great cities ("camps" I
called them) there was never any real darkness if men chose, because
there were other lights at command which could be turned off and on at
will. The most effective analogy in this respect was the twinkling of
the stars in the heavens; but my hearers were greatly amazed to think
that such lights could be under the command of man.
The blacks had long since put me down as a great spirit come to visit
them, and they even located by common consent a certain star in the
heavens which they decided was at one time my home, and to which I should
eventually return. Every time I made a false step, I had to devise some
new "miracle" by way of counterblast.
On one occasion I actually made a perambulator for the conveyance of
children! It was the very first time that these primitive savages had
seen the principle of the wheel applied to locomotion, and it passed
their comprehension altogether. With childish delight and an uproar that
baffles all description, both men and women almost fought with one
another for the honour of pushing the crude little conveyance about. The
perambulator was made out of logs, and was a four-wheeled vehicle; the
rims of the wheels being cut from a hollow tree. My blacks were also
much amazed at the great size of my mountain home; but their wonderment
increased greatly when I explained to them that some of the buildings in
the great "camps" of the white man were as large as the hills, and much
more numerous.
Elsewhere I have spoken of the extraordinary system of telegraphy that
exists among the blacks. Well, in the early eighties news began to reach
me that numbers of white men had appeared in the north; and in one of my
many long tramps I one day came upon a party of white men engaged in
prospecting. I speak of this remarkable meeting thus abruptly because
their tent met my gaze in the most abrupt manner possible. It is ever so
in the Australian bush.
I found that this party was by no means an isolated one, and I actually
stayed in various camps for a few days, before returning to my mountain
home. I need hardly remark that the white men were far more astonished
to see me than I was at meeting them. Of course I could have joined them
and gone back to civilisation, but this I would not do without my native
wife and family. It was in the Kimberley district that I met these
parties of prospectors; and I may here remark that I had for some time
been aware of the existence of this auriferous region. I learned
afterwards that the Kimberley was geographically the nearest point I
might have made for in order to reach civilisation.
When I settled down again in my mountain home I soon fell into my old way
of living, which was practically identical with that of the blacks, save
that I did not always accompany them when they shifted camp. Parties of
natives were constantly calling upon me, and would stay perhaps three or
four days at a time. I encouraged these visits, and invariably prepared
some entertainment for my guests,--even going to the extent of providing
them with wives, according to native custom. But, you will ask, where
did I get wives to hand round in this convenient fashion? A very
interesting question this, and one which requires a somewhat lengthy
answer. Now, the blacks do not look upon the advent of a female child
with any favour; on the contrary, they frequently get rid of it at once
in order to save themselves the trouble of taking it with them when on
the walk-about.
As I was always very fond of children, I decided to try and put a stop to
this dreadful habit of child-murder, so I made it known far and wide that
parents could pass their girl-babies on to me, and I would rear and look
after them. The result of this widely-advertised offer was that I soon
had quite an orphan asylum established--an institution which was valuable
to me in many ways. Quite apart from the satisfaction I derived from
knowing I had saved these children from a terrible death, I was looked
upon as a kind of prospective father-in-law on a gigantic scale, and
young men came from all parts to treat with me for wives.
As I have said before, my regular reception days were held at the new
moon.
My visitors, as well as my own people, gradually grew to have quite a
reverence for the Bible; but I am afraid it was not on account of the
sacredness of the book, but rather owing to the wonderful things it
contained, and which were interpreted by me in such a way as would appeal
directly to the primitive minds of these people.
Oftentimes I made mistakes. For instance, what seemed to interest them
enormously was the story of how Moses struck the rock and obtained a
miraculous supply of water. Anything in the way of fresh water procured
in the desert interested them keenly. Only, unfortunately, they floored
me by asking me to accomplish a similar miracle!
Another Bible story which brought me some discomfiture was about Balaam
and his ass. Now, when I decided to tell the story of Balaam, I knew
from experience that if I mentioned an "ass," that animal would require
all kinds of tedious explanation, which would probably result in needless
mystification and consequent suspicion; so I boldly plunged into the
story of _Balaam and his_ KANGAROO! But what staggered the blacks
altogether was that Balaam's kangaroo should be able to speak. Now, it
seems that a talking animal is the greatest possible joke known to the
blacks, and so my narrative was greeted with uproarious mirth; and my
"impossible" story even spread from tribe to tribe. I found it was no
use telling the blacks anything they could not readily comprehend.
One day I told them about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire
and brimstone, and this again landed me in disaster, for I was promptly
asked how could any one, Great Spirit or other, burn up _the stones_ of
which the houses were composed? And, of course, each instance of this
kind would be pounced upon by a tribal medicine-man or some other jealous
enemy, and used to discredit me. A few days after telling the Sodom and
Gomorrah story, I was on a walk-about with Yamba in my mountain region,
when I suddenly discovered that shale existed in very considerable
quantities, and I thereupon conceived the idea of demonstrating to the
blacks that, not only was the Bible narrative a true one, but that it was
quite possible to ignite stone; _and I would even show them how it was
done_!
Aided by Yamba and other members of my family, I constructed an immense
shaft-like cairn, mainly composed of loose pieces of shale intermixed
with sandstone. I put in the sandstone and other stones, partly in order
that the blacks might not notice the uniform construction of the cairn;
and partly also because I knew that when the ordinary stones were heated,
they would probably burst or explode with a loud sound, and so terrify
the superstitious onlookers. The cairn was about fifteen feet high, with
an opening at the summit and other small openings at the sides in order
to ensure a good draught. At the base I left an opening sufficiently
large for me to crawl through. Then I placed inside a quantity of
inflammable material--such as wood and dry bark;--and as all these
preparations went forward in a very leisurely manner, my monthly
reception was quite due when everything was ready. Wishing to have an
exceptionally large gathering, I sent out invitations to all the
surrounding tribes to come and see my wonderful performance at which I
would "set fire to the rocks and stones."
A perfectly enormous crowd assembled at the time appointed, for my
previous achievements had led the black-fellows to suppose I had some
marvellous manifestation in store for them. Never can I forget the
keenness with which that great assembly anticipated the entertainment in
store for them. And remember, they were growing pretty _blase_ by this
time, having witnessed so many miracles.
In the twilight of the evening, when the murmur of the multitude was
hushed, I crawled cautiously into the cairn (I should have been buried
alive had it collapsed), and at once commenced operations with the flint
and steel and tinder which I had taken care to leave there. In another
minute I had set fire to the wood and dry material that filled the bottom
of the shaft. When I was satisfied that it was thoroughly alight, I
discreetly withdrew and joined the wondering crowd, which I had forbidden
to approach too close. Dense clouds of smoke were now rolling from the
apertures of the great cairn, and in a short time the shaft was a fierce
and raging furnace, with the ordinary stones red hot and occasionally
bursting with loud explosions, which threw showers of glowing slag high
into the air.
The blacks were almost paralysed with fear, and many of them threw
themselves prostrate on the ground, ignoring the hail of stones that fell
upon their naked bodies. I stalked about majestically among them,
exulting in my power and the success of my manifestation. The big cairn
burnt for many days more fiercely than even a stack of coal would do; and
I never ceased to wonder that the blacks themselves had not long ago
found out the inflammable nature of the "stone."
By this time Yamba could speak English tolerably well, but we did not
invariably use that language.
Gradually and half unconsciously I fell into the habit of speaking the
native tongue, until I suddenly found that the practice was obtaining
such a firm hold upon me that I was forgetting French altogether; whilst
it was only with difficulty that I could form grammatical sentences in
English. I soon came to the conclusion, therefore, that it was necessary
for me to hold much more converse in English than I had hitherto done;
and from the moment that this curious "scare" suggested itself to my
mind, Yamba and I and our children spoke nothing but English when we were
by ourselves in the evening. I cultivated my knowledge of English in
preference to any other language, because I knew that if ever we should
reach civilisation, English and not French would be the language spoken.
It may be interesting also to mention that one of the first indications I
had that I was losing my English was an inability to _think_ in that
language.
In general appearance I was now absolutely like a black, and wore only an
apron of emu skin as a protection against the scrub I encountered when on
the walk-about. In the ordinary way I never had any marks upon me with
the exception of these scratches. Of course, on festive occasions, I was
gaily painted and decorated, and no doubt I would have been initiated
into manhood, and borne the tribal and other marks, were it not for the
fact that I was a man when I came among the blacks.
It is obviously impossible for me to record minutely the happenings of
every day, mainly because only the salient incidents stand out in my
mind. Besides, I have already dealt with the daily routine, and have
probably repeated myself in minor details.
A constant source of grief to me was the weakly condition of my two
children, who I knew could never attain mature age. And knowing they
were doomed, I think I loved them all the more.
Yet so incomprehensible is human nature that I often found myself
speculating on what I should do after they--and Yamba--were gone; because
by this time my faithful helpmate was growing ominously feeble. You must
remember that when I first met her on the desert island she was an oldish
woman, judged by the native standard; that is to say, she was about
thirty.
The death-bed of my boy is a scene I can never forget. He called me to
him, and said he was very glad he was dying, because he felt he would
never have been strong enough to fight his way through life, and endure
daily what the other black boys endured. Therefore, he argued wistfully,
and half inquiringly, he would only be a burden to me. He was a very
affectionate and considerate little fellow, with an intelligence far
beyond that of the ordinary aboriginal child. He spoke in English,
because I had taught both him and his sister that language. At the last
I learned--for the first time--that it was always worrying him, and
almost breaking his little heart, that he could never compete with the
black boys in their games of strength and skill; and no doubt he would
have become an outcast were it not that he was my son.
Almost his last whispered words to me were that he would be able to
assist me more in the Spirit-land than ever he could hope to do in the
flesh. He was perfectly conscious to the last, and as I knelt down by
his couch of fragrant eucalyptus leaves, and stooped low to catch his
whispered message, he told me he seemed to be entering a beautiful new
country, where the birds always sang and the flowers bloomed for ever.
Spirit voices kept calling him, he said, and he felt himself being
irresistibly drawn away from me.
Upon my own feelings I do not wish to dwell. All I will say is I kissed
my boy on the eyes and mouth, and then, with a soft "Good-bye, they have
come for me," he closed his eyes for ever.
I felt it was to be. A few days afterwards the little girl, my remaining
child, was taken ill, and so feeble was she, that she soon joined her
brother in the better land. I seemed to be overwhelmed with misfortunes,
but the greatest of all was yet to come. I have hinted that Yamba was
beginning to show signs of infirmity through advancing years. I could
not help noticing, with a vague feeling of helpless horror and sickening
foreboding, that she had lost her high spirits and keen perception--to
say nothing about the elasticity of her tread and her wonderful physical
endurance generally. She was no longer able to accompany me on the long
and interesting tramps which we had now taken together for so many years.
Her skin began to wither and wrinkle, and she gradually took on the
appearance of a very old woman. The result of this was I began to have
fits of frightful depression and acute misery. I stayed at home a good
deal now, partly because I knew the country thoroughly and no longer
cared to explore, and partly also because I missed the companionship and
invaluable assistance of my devoted wife. I constantly buoyed myself up
with the hope that Yamba was only ailing temporarily, and that her
enfeebled condition had been brought on mainly by the misfortunes that
had befallen us of late. But she grew more and more feeble, and both she
and I knew that the end was not far off. Never once, however, did we
allude to such a catastrophe; and whenever I fixed my eyes earnestly upon
her in the vain hope of discerning some more favourable symptom, she
would pretend not to notice me.
I would sometimes take her for a long walk, which was really much beyond
her strength, solely in order that we might delude ourselves with vain
hopes. And she, poor creature, would tax herself far beyond her strength
in order to afford me a happiness which the real state of things did not
justify.
For instance, she would run and leap and jump in order to show that she
was as young as ever; but after these strange and pathetic demonstrations
she would endeavour to conceal her great exhaustion.
Very soon my poor Yamba was obliged to remain at home altogether; and as
she grew more and more infirm, she plucked up courage to tell me that she
knew she was going to die, and was rather glad than otherwise, because
then I would be able to return to civilisation--that goal for which I had
yearned through so many years. She pointed out to me that it would not
be so difficult now, as I had already been brought into contact with
parties of white men; and, besides, we had long ago had news brought to
us about the construction of the Trans-Continental Telegraph Line from
Adelaide to Port Darwin. No sooner had she spoken of death than I broke
down again altogether. The thought that she should be taken from me was
so cruel that its contemplation was quite insupportable, and I threw
myself down beside her in a perfect agony of grief and dread.
I told her I did not mind how long I remained among the blacks so long as
she was with me; and I tried to persuade her, with all the eloquence I
could muster, that, far from dying, she would return to civilisation with
me, so that I might spread abroad to the whole world the story of her
devotion and her virtues. As she continued merely to smile pityingly, I
changed my tone and dwelt upon the past. I went through the whole story
of my life, from the time she was cast upon the desert island in the Sea
of Timor, and at the recital of all the hardships and dangers, joys and
troubles, which we had passed through together, she broke down also, and
we wept long and bitterly in one another's arms.
By this time she had become a convert to Christianity, but this was
entirely a matter of her own seeking. She had such implicit belief in my
wisdom and knowledge, that she begged me to tell her all about my
religion in order that she might adopt it as her own. Like most
converts, she was filled with fiery zeal and enthusiasm, and tried to
soften the approaching terror by telling me she was quite happy at the
thought of going, because she would be able to look after me even more
than in the past. "How different it would have been with me," she used
to say, "had I remained with my old tribe. I should still be under the
belief that when I died my highest state would be to be turned into an
animal; but now I know that a glorious future awaits us, and that in due
time you will join me in heaven."
Yamba did not suffer any physical pain, nor was she actually confined to
her bed until four days before her death. As the various tribes knew the
love and admiration I had for her, the fact that she lay dying spread
rapidly, and crowds of natives flocked to my mountain home.
Widespread sympathy was expressed for me; and all kinds of tender
consideration were evinced by these savages. All day long an incessant
stream of women-folk kept coming to the hut and inquiring after my dying
wife.
It seemed to be Yamba's sole anxiety that I should be well equipped for
the journey back to civilisation. She would rehearse with me for hours
the various methods adopted by the black-fellows to find water; and she
reminded me that my course at first was to be in a southerly direction
until I came to a region where the trees were blazed, and then I was to
follow the track that led westward. She had elicited this information
for me from the blacks with remarkable acuteness.
These last days seemed to pass very quickly, and one night the dying
woman had a serious relapse. Hitherto she had always addressed me as
"Master," but now that she stood in the Valley of the Shadow she would
throw her arms about my neck and whisper softly, "Good-bye, _my husband_.
Good-bye, I am going--going--going. I will wait for you--there."
For myself I could not seem to realise it. Sometimes I would rise up
with the sole intention of finding out whether this frightful thing was
or was not a ghastly dream. Then my memory would go back over the long
years, and every little instance of unselfishness and devotion would rise
before my mind. As I looked at the prostrate and attenuated form that
lay silent on the couch of eucalyptus leaves, I felt that life was merely
the acutest agony, and that I must immediately seek oblivion in some form
or the other, or lose my reason. It seemed, I say, impossible that Yamba
could cease to be. It seemed the cruellest and most preposterous thing
that she could be taken from me.
Frantically I put my arms around her and actually tried to lift her on to
her feet, begging of her to show how robust she was as in the days of
yore. I whispered into her ears all the memories of the past, and the
poor creature would endeavour to respond with a series of feeble efforts,
after which she sank back suddenly and breathed a last pitiful sigh.
Language is utterly futile to describe my horror--my distraction. I felt
as I imagined a man would feel after amputation of all his members,
leaving only the quivering and bleeding trunk. I felt that life held no
more joy, no more hope; and gladly would I have welcomed death itself as
a happy release from the wretchedness of living. In my delirium of grief
I often besought the repulsive savages about me to spear me where I
stood.
Upon this subject I can dwell no more, because of what followed I have
only the vaguest recollection.
For days I seemed to live in a kind of dream, and was not even sure that
the people I met day by day were real beings. As to my awful loss, I am
sure I did not realise it. What I did realise, however, was the
necessity for immediate action. Like a dream to me also is the memory of
the sincere grief of my blacks and their well-meant endeavours to console
me. The women kept up a mournful howl, which nearly drove me crazy, and
only strengthened my resolve to get away from that frightful place. So
dazed did I become, that the blacks concluded some strange spirit must
have entered into me.
They seemed to take it for granted that I left all arrangements for the
funeral to them; the sole idea that possessed me being to complete my
arrangements for the great journey I had before me. I told the natives
frankly of my intention, and immediately forty of them volunteered to
accompany me on my travels as far as I chose to permit them to come. I
readily accepted the kindly offer, partly because I knew that alone I
should have gone mad; and partly also because I instinctively realised
that with such a bodyguard I would have nothing to fear either from human
foes or the tortures of thirst.
I left everything. I cut off my long hair with my stiletto and
distributed it among the natives to be made into bracelets, necklaces,
and other souvenirs; and then I departed with little ceremony from the
place where I had spent so many years of weird and strange exile. Most
of my belongings I gave away, and I think I turned my back upon my
mountain home with little or no regret. My dress consisted solely of the
usual covering of emu skin; whilst attached to a belt round my waist were
my tomahawk and stiletto. My bow and arrows were slung over my shoulder.
Day after day we marched steadily on, precisely as though we were on a
walk-about. The conditions of the country were constantly changing, and
I came across many evidences of its natural richness in minerals--more
particularly gold.
One day as we were all resting near the base of a rock, which was a kind
of huge outcrop from the plain, I began idly to chip the stone with my
tomahawk. Suddenly the edge glanced aside, revealing a bright, shining,
yellow metal. I sprang to my feet in astonishment, and realised in a
moment that this great mass of rock was auriferous to an enormous degree,
and there was one gigantic nugget, spread out tentacle-wise in it, which
if removed would, I am sure, be as much as a couple of men could carry.
Week after week passed by, and still we continued our southward march. In
time, of course, my companions returned to their own country; but so
leisurely had our progress been that I had ample time thoroughly to
ingratiate myself with other tribes,--so that, as usual, I went from
tribe to tribe practically armed only with my own knowledge of the
savages and my invaluable repertoire of tricks. In the course of months
I came upon the blazed or marked trees, and then struck due west.
Very few incidents worth recording befell me, and I kept steadily on my
way for eight or nine months. At last--at last--I came upon unmistakable
signs of the proximity of "civilisation"; for strewn along the track we
were now following were such things as rusty meat-tins; old papers;
discarded and very much ant-eaten clothing; tent-pegs; and numerous other
evidences of pioneer life. One day, about noon, I espied an encampment
of tents 500 or 600 yards ahead of me, and I promptly brought my men to a
halt whilst I went forward a little to reconnoitre. Curiously enough,
the sight of these tents did not cause me any great emotion. You see, I
had met prospectors before in the Kimberley region, and besides, I had
been looking for these tents so long from the time I first came across
the evidences of civilisation aforesaid, that my only surprise was I had
not reached them before. Walking about were Europeans in the usual dress
of the Australian prospector. Suddenly a strange feeling of shyness and
hesitancy came over me. Almost stark naked and darkened as I was--a
veritable savage, in fact--I realised I could not go and introduce myself
to these men without proper clothing. I knew the value of caution in
approaching so-called civilised men, having had bitter experience with
the Giles expedition. Returning to my blacks, I told them that at last I
had come up with my own people, but did not want to join them for some
little time yet. Then I selected a couple of my companions, and
explained to them that I wanted some white man's clothing.
I instructed them to creep quietly into the camp, take a pair of trousers
and shirt that were hanging outside one of the tents, and bring back
these articles to me. They undertook the commission with evident
delight, but when they returned in the course of a few minutes they
brought only the shirt with them; the trousers, it seemed having been
removed no doubt by the owner, a few minutes before they arrived. My
blacks were intensely amused when I donned the shirt; and considering
that this was practically the only article of wearing apparel I
possessed, I have no doubt I did cut a very ludicrous figure. Then came
another difficulty. I reflected I could not possibly go and show myself
among these white men wearing one of their own shirts. Finally I decided
to bid farewell then and there to my escort, and continue my march alone
until I reached another encampment.
In the course of another day or so I reached a second camp. Into this I
decided to venture and explain who I was. Before taking this step,
however, I rubbed off all the clayey coating on my skin, trimmed my hair
and beard to a respectable length by means of a firestick, and threw away
my bow, which was now my only remaining weapon; then I marched boldly
into the camp. Some five or six bronzed prospectors were seated at
supper round the fire in front of the tent as I approached; and when they
caught sight of me they stared, astounded for the moment, and then burst
into laughter, under the impression that I was one of their own black
servants playing some joke upon them. When I was but a few yards away,
however, I called out in English--
"Halloa, boys! have you room for me?"
They were too much taken aback to reply immediately, and then one of them
said--
"Oh yes; come and sit down."
As I seated myself among them they asked--
"Have you been out prospecting?"
"Yes," I said quietly, "and I have been away a very long time."
"And where did you leave your mates?" was the next question.
"I had no mates," I told them. "I undertook my wanderings practically
alone."
They looked at one another, winked, and smiled incredulously at this.
Then one of them asked me if I had found any gold.
I said, "Oh yes, plenty of gold," and then the next query--a most natural
one--was, "Well, why have you not brought some of the stuff back with
you? How far have you travelled?"
I told them I had been tramping through the heart of the Continent for
eight or nine months, and that I had no means of carrying nuggets and
quartz about with me. But this explanation only served to renew their
merriment, which reached its climax when, in an unguarded moment, I put a
question which I had been burning to ask--
"What year is this?"
"This is Bellamy's 'Looking Backward' with a vengeance," cried one of the
prospectors--a sally that was heartily appreciated by the whole of the
company, with the exception of myself. I began to think that if this was
the reception civilisation had for me, it were better for me to have
remained among my faithful savages.
But in a few minutes the men's demeanour changed, and it was obvious that
they looked upon me as a harmless lunatic just emerged from the bush. I
was assured that this conclusion was correct when I saw the diggers
looking at one another significantly and tapping their foreheads. I
resolved to tell them nothing further about myself, well knowing that the
more I told them the more convinced they would be that I was a wandering
lunatic. I learned that these men were a party of decent young fellows
from Coolgardie. They offered me a meal of tea and damper, and pressed
me to stay the night with them, but I declined their hospitality. I
gratefully accepted a pair of trousers, but declined the offer of a pair
of boots, feeling certain that I could not yet bear these on my feet. My
rough benefactors told me that I should find many other camps to the
south and west; so I wandered off into the bush again and spent the night
alone.
My next move was in the direction of Mount Margaret; and along the road
which I traversed I came across an interesting variety of picks, shovels,
and other mining tools, which had evidently been discarded by
disappointed prospectors. I decided not to enter this town but to go
round it; then I continued my tramp alone towards Coolgardie and thence
to Southern Cross.
After working for some time in the last-named town (my impressions of
"civilisation" would make another whole book), I made my way to Perth,
the capital of Western Australia. In Perth I was advised that it would
be better for me to go to Melbourne, as I would stand a much better
chance there of getting a ship on which I might work my passage to
Europe. Accordingly I proceeded to Melbourne as soon as I could, and the
only noteworthy incident there was my humorous interview with the French
Consul. I addressed that dignified functionary in execrable French,
telling him that I was a French subject and wanted to be sent back to
Europe. I bungled a great deal, and when my French failed I helped
myself out with English. The Consul waited patiently till I had
finished, stroking his beard the while, and looking at me in the most
suspicious manner.
"You claim this because you are a Frenchman?" he said.
"That is so," I replied, involuntarily relapsing into English once more.
"Well," he said coldly, as he turned away, "the next time you say you are
a Frenchman you had better not use any English at all, because you speak
that language better than I do."
I tried to argue the point with him, and told him I had been shipwrecked,
but when I went on to explain how long ago that shipwreck was, he smiled
in spite of himself, and I came away. From Melbourne I went to Sydney,
and from Sydney to Brisbane.
About May 1897, I found myself in Wellington, New Zealand, where I was
advised I stood an excellent chance of getting a ship to take me to
England. I sailed in the New Zealand Shipping Company's _Waikato_, and
landed in London in March 1898.