Many travellers have tried to see the land in the midst of Australia, but
hitherto they have not succeeded. After going a little way, they have
been obliged to return, and why? Because they have found no water.
I will give you an account of the journey of Mr. Eyre. This traveller
wished to go into the midst of the land, but finding he could not, he
travelled along the coast, at that part called the Great Bight (or the
Great Bay).
He set out from Adelaide with a large party, but various accidents
occurred by the way, and at last he found himself with only one
Englishman, and three native boys. The eldest was almost a man. His name
was Wylie, and he was a good-tempered, lively youth. The second was named
Neramberein. I shall have nothing good to relate of him, but a great deal
of evil; for he was indeed a very wicked boy. The youngest was called
Cootachah--a boy who was easily induced to follow bad examples.
Mr. Eyre was the chief person in the party, and his English companion was
Mr. Baxter. Ten horses carried the packages, and six sheep were made to
follow, that they might be killed one by one for food.
All these poor animals suffered terribly from want of water. Sometimes
they went a hundred miles without a refreshing draught. The horses became
so weak, that the travellers were unwilling to mount their backs; and as
for the sheep, they could scarcely crawl along.
Many ways of getting water were tried. One way was digging up the roots
of trees. A little,--a very little,--water may often be squeezed out of
the end of a root; because the root is the mouth of the tree, and sucks
up water from the ground. Another way of getting water was by gathering
up the dew in a sponge. Enough dew to make a cup of tea might sometimes
be obtained; but not enough for the poor beasts to have any. When the
travellers, by digging, could make a well, then they were glad indeed;
for then the beasts could be refreshed as well as themselves.
The whole party were become so weak from fatigue and thirst, that they
could not get on fast, and they found it necessary to save their food as
much as possible, that it might last to the end of the long journey. They
took a little flour every day out of their bag, and made it into a paste.
Sometimes they caught a fish, or shot a bird or beast, and then they had
a hearty meal. When they killed one of their sheep, then they had plenty
of mutton. At last, all the sheep were killed but one.
It happened at this time, that one of the horses was so sick that he
could not move. It was plain he would soon die; therefore the travellers
determined to kill him, and eat his flesh. Mr. Eyre was grieved at the
thought of killing his horse, neither could he bear the idea of eating
horse flesh; but then he feared, that if the horse were not killed, the
whole party would be starved.
The native boys were delighted when they knew the horse was to be eaten;
for they had long been fretting for more food. They would like to have
devoured it _all_ on the spot; but they were not allowed to do so; the
greater part of the flesh was cut off in thin slices, dipped in salt
water, and then hung up in the sun to dry, to serve as provision for many
days to come. The boys were permitted to devour the rest of the carcase.
With what haste they prepared the feast! They made a fire close to the
carcase, and then cut off lumps of flesh, which they roasted quickly, and
then ate. They spent the whole afternoon in this manner, looking more
like ravenous wolves than human creatures. When night came, they were not
willing to leave their meat, but took as much as ever they could carry
into their beds, that they might eat whenever they awoke. Next day, they
returned to the roasting and eating, and the next night again they took
meat with them to bed.
Mr. Eyre wondered at their gluttony and he thought it necessary to give
them an allowance of food, instead of letting them eat as much as they
liked. He gave five pounds of meat to each boy every day. Five pounds is
as much as a shoulder of mutton--and ten English boys would think it
quite enough for dinner; but the Australian boys were not satisfied!
Mr. Eyre began to suspect that in the night they stole some of the meat
hanging up to dry on the trees. Therefore one night he weighed the meat,
and in the morning weighed it again. He found that four pounds were gone.
He thought it was very ungrateful of boys, to whom he gave so much, to
steal from his small stock. As a punishment he gave them less meat next
day than usual.
He entreated the boys to tell him who was the thief. The eldest and
youngest declared that they had not stolen any meat; but Neramberein
would not answer at all, and looked sulky and angry, and muttered
something about going away, and taking Wylie with him. Mr. Eyre replied,
that he might go if he pleased, while at the same time he warned him of
the dangers of the way.
The next morning, as soon as breakfast was over, the three boys all rose
up and walked away. Mr. Eyre called back the youngest, as he felt he was
misled by his elders, but he let the others go. They had stayed with him
till the horse was all eaten up, except the dried pieces--but now they
hoped to get more food, when travelling alone, than with Mr. Eyre.
As soon as the boys were gone, Mr. Eyre determined to stop some time
longer where he was, that he might not overtake them. There was one sheep
still remaining, and which seemed very restless all by itself. This
sheep was killed for food, and in that place there was plenty of water;
so that the little company fared well that day and the next; especially
as Mr. Baxter had the good fortune to kill an eagle, which made an
excellent stew.
Just as the travellers had finished their evening meal, they were
astonished to see the two runaway boys approaching. Wylie came running
up, declaring that both he and his companions were sorry for their bad
behavior, and were anxious to be received again, not being able to get
enough to eat. But though Wylie acted in this frank manner, his companion
was very sulky. He said nothing, but seated himself by the fire, pouting
and frowning, and evidently much vexed at being obliged to come back. Mr.
Eyre thought it well to give the boys a lecture on their bad conduct,
especially upon their thefts; for they now owned that they had stolen
meat from the trees, though they had before denied it. But though Mr.
Eyre reproved the boys, he treated them very kindly, for he gave them
some tea, and bread and meat for supper.
The next day the whole party continued their journey. They were obliged
to be very sparing of their food, lest when it was gone they should get
no more. But their greatest trial was the want of water.
After travelling during four days, they stopped one evening in a rocky
place at the top of high cliffs, hoping that if any rain should fall,
some might be caught in the hollow places among the rocks. That evening
they ate no supper; for having had dinner, they might do without supper.
Before they lay down to sleep, they made themselves places to sleep in,
by setting up boughs, as shelters from the wind. They also piled up their
goods in a great heap, and covered it with oil skin, to keep out the
damp. Mr. Eyre did not sleep when the rest did, for he undertook to watch
the horses till eleven at night, and then he agreed to change places with
Mr. Baxter.
The hour was almost come, and Mr. Eyre was beginning to lead the horses
towards the sleeping place, when he was startled by hearing a gun go off.
He called out,--but receiving no answer, he grew alarmed, and leaving the
horses, ran towards the spot, whence the noise had come.
Presently he met Wylie, running very fast, and crying out, "Oh! Massa,
Oh! Massa, come here."
"What is the matter?" inquired Mr. Eyre.
Wylie made no answer.
With hurried steps, Mr. Eyre accompanied him towards the camp. What a
sight struck his eyes! His friend Baxter, lying on the ground, weltering
in his blood, and in the agonies of DEATH.
The two younger boys were not there, and the goods which had been covered
by the oil-skin, lay scattered in confusion on the ground. It was too
clear that one of the boys had KILLED poor Baxter. No doubt it was
Neramberein who had done it!
It seems that the boys had attempted to steal some of the goods, and that
while they were gathering them together, Baxter had awaked, and had come
forth from his sleeping place, and that _then_ one of the boys had shot
him.
Mr. Eyre raised the dying man from the ground where he was lying
prostrate, and he then found that a ball had entered his left breast, and
that his life was fast departing. In a few minutes he expired!
What were the feelings of the lonely traveller! Here he was in the midst
of a desert, with no companion but one young savage, and that young
savage was not one whom he could trust; for he knew not what part Wylie
had taken in the deeds of the night. He suspected that he had intended to
go away with the other boys, but that when Baxter was murdered, he had
grown alarmed. Wylie indeed denied that he had known anything of the
robbery, but then he was not a boy whose word could be believed.
The remainder of that dreadful night was passed by Mr. Eyre, in watching
the horses. Anxiously he waited for the first streak of daylight. He then
drove the horses to the camp, and once more beheld the body of his
fellow-traveller. How suddenly had his soul been hurried into eternity,
and into the presence of his God!
It was Wylie's business to light the fire, and prepare the breakfast.
Meanwhile, Mr. Eyre examined the baggage to see how much had been stolen.
These were the chief articles he missed. All the bread, consisting of
five loaves, some mutton, tea and sugar, tobacco and pipes, a small keg
of water, and two guns. And what was left for the traveller? A large
quantity of flour, a large keg of water, some tea and sugar, a gun, and
pistols. But would these have been left, had the ungrateful boys been
strong enough to carry them away?
Mr. Eyre desired before leaving the fatal spot to bury the body of his
friend; but the rocks around were so hard, that it was impossible to dig
a grave. All he was able to do, was to wrap the corpse in a blanket
before he abandoned it forever.
Slowly and silently he left the sorrowful spot, leading one horse,
while Wylie drove the others after it. During the heat of the day, they
stopped to rest. It was four in the afternoon, and they were soon going
to set out again, when they perceived at a distance--TWO WHITE FIGURES!
two white figures! and soon knew them to be the two guilty boys, wrapped
in their blankets.
Mr. Eyre had some fear lest the young murderer should shoot him also; yet
he thought it wise to advance boldly towards him, with his gun in his
hand. He perceived that each of the wicked youths held a gun, and seemed
ready to shoot. But as he approached, they drew back. He wished to speak
to them in order to persuade them not to follow him on his journey, but
to go another way; however he could not get near them; but he heard them
cry out, "O Massa, we don't want you; we want Wylie." The boys repeated
the name of Wylie over and over again; yet Wylie answered not, but
remained quietly with the horses. At length Mr. Eyre turned away, and
continued his journey. The boys followed at some distance, calling out
for Wylie till the darkness came on.
Mr. Eyre was so anxious to get beyond the reach of these wicked youths,
that he walked eighteen miles that evening. And he never saw them again!
I do not know whether he had ever told them of the true God, of that EYE
which never SLEEPS, of that EYE which beholds ROBBERS and MURDERERS in
the night;--but whether he had told them or not of this great God, they
must have KNOWN that they were acting wickedly when they robbed their
benefactor, and murdered his friend; and they must have felt very
MISERABLE after they had done those deeds.
Alone with Wylie, Mr. Eyre pursued his journey along the high clefts of
the Great Bight, or Bay.
For five days they were without water for the horses; at last they dug
some wells in the sand. But by this time one of the horses was grown so
weak, that he could scarcely crawl along. This horse, Mr. Eyre determined
to kill for food. Wylie, delighted with the idea, exclaimed, "Massa, I
shall sit up, and eat the whole night." And he kept his word. While his
master was skinning the poor beast, he made a fire close by, and soon
began tearing off bits of flesh, roasting, and eating them, as fast as he
could. Mr. Eyre, after cutting off the best parts of the flesh to dry,
allowed Wylie to eat the rest. See the young glutton, with the head, the
feet, and the inside, permitted to devour it as best he could! He
hastened to make an oven, in which to bake about twenty pounds to feast
upon during the night. It is not wonderful, if during that night he was
heard to make a dismal groaning, and to complain that he was very ill.
He _said_, indeed, that it was _working_ too _hard_, had made him ill,
but his master thought it was _eating_ too _much_, for whenever he woke,
he found the boy gnawing a bone.
Next day, Wylie was not able to spend his whole time over the carcase,
for he had to go, and look for a lost foal; but the day after, it was
hard to get him away from the bones.
For some time the travellers lived upon dried horse flesh, with a
kangaroo, or a fish, as a little change. Wylie continued to eat
immoderately, though often rolling upon the ground, and crying out,
"Mendyat," or ill.
One night he appeared to be in a very ill-humor, and Mr. Eyre tried to
find out the reason. At last Wylie said in an angry tone, "The dogs have
eaten the skin." It seems he had hung the skin of a kangaroo upon a bush,
intending to eat it by-and-bye, and the wild dogs had stolen the dainty
morsel. Wylie was restored to his usual good-humor by the sight of some
fine fishes his master had caught. Next time the boy shot a kangaroo, he
took good care of the skin, folding it up, and hiding it.
One day he was so happy as to catch two opossums in a tree. His master
determined to see how Wylie would behave, if left entirely to himself.
He sat silently by the fire, while Wylie was cooking one opossum. The
boy, having got it ready for his supper, took the other to his sleeping
place. His master inquired what he intended to do with it. Wylie replied,
"I shall be hungry in the morning, and I am keeping it for my breakfast."
Then Mr. Eyre perceived that the greedy boy intended to offer him neither
supper nor breakfast. Accordingly he took out his bag of flour, and said
to Wylie, "Very well, we will each eat our own food; you eat the opossums
you shot, and I eat the flour I have; and I will give you no more." In
this manner, Mr. Eyre hoped to show the boy the folly of his selfishness.
Wylie was frightened at the idea of getting no more flour, and
immediately offered the smaller opossum to his master, and promised to
cook it himself. What a selfish, and ungrateful boy! Wylie had a wicked
heart by nature, and so have _we_. Only _he_ had not been taught what was
right, as _we_ have been. This is a prayer which would suit well every
child, and every man in the world, "Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me."
Mr. Eyre continued to be kind to Wylie, though he saw the boy did not
really love him.
But the troubles of the journey were nearly at an end. At last the
travellers saw a ship a few miles from the shore. Oh I how anxious they
were that the sailors should see them! What could they do? They kindled a
fire on a rock, and they made a great deal of smoke come out of the fire.
Soon a boat was seen approaching the shore. How great was the joy of the
weary travellers. The sailors in the boat were Frenchmen, but they were
not the less kind on that account. They invited Mr. Eyre and Wylie to
accompany them to their ship.
When the young savage found himself on board, he was almost wild with
delight, for he had now as much to eat as he could desire, and he began
eating biscuits so fast, that the sailors began to be afraid lest he
should eat them all; and they were glad to give him fishes instead, as
they could catch plenty of them.
For twelve days Wylie and his master lived in the ship, and then left it,
laden with provisions, and dressed in warm clothes.
They had still many miles to go along the shore, but they suffered no
more from want of food and water.
Great was their rapture when they first caught sight of the hills of St.
George's Sound; for then they knew their journey would soon end. But they
had rivers to cross on the way, and in trying to get the horses over,
they nearly lost the poor beasts, and their own lives too. For three days
their clothes were dripping with wet, and the last night was one of the
worst; but then they knew it was the LAST, and that thought enabled them
to bear all. So does the Christian feel when near the end of his journey.
He is in the midst of storms, and wading through deep waters, even the
deep waters of DEATH; but he knows that he is near HOME.
It was in the midst of a furious storm, that these travellers arrived at
their journey's end. Though they were now close to the town of Albany,
neither man nor beast were to be seen; for neither would venture out. At
last, a native appeared, and he knew Wylie, and greeted him joyfully,
telling him at the same time that his friends had given him up for dead a
long while ago. This native, by a loud shrill cry, let his countrymen
know that Wylie was found; and presently a multitude of men, women, and
children, came rushing rapidly from the town, and up the hill to meet
him. His parents and brethren folded him in their arms, while all around
welcomed him with shouts of joy. His master was kindly received at the
house of a friend; but he did not meet with so warm a welcome as Wylie,
for he was not like him in the midst of his family.
The kind master overlooked all Wylie's faults during the journey, and
remembered only his kindness in keeping with him to the end. He even
spoke in his favor to the government, requesting that Wylie might have a
daily allowance of food as a reward for his good conduct. What great
reason had this young savage to rejoice that he had not listened to the
enticements of his wicked comrades, when they called him so often by his
name, and tried to induce him to forsake his kind master!