Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia Volume I Part 30

As soon as supper was finished they became very talkative, and, in a sort of recitative, recounted various adventures; and, when they conceived that they had sufficiently entertained me, they requested me to give them an account of my adventures in the northern part of the country, where they had heard from other natives that I had been for some time.

Having now acquired some knowledge of their language, I was able to make myself tolerably intelligible to them, and they listened with the greatest anxiety and interest to the various misfortunes that befel me.

When they heard that I had been wounded by the natives to the north no persuasions or protestations upon my part could convince them that my object in now proceeding in that direction again was merely to gratify curiosity, and not from motives of revenge; but they kept continually requesting me not to attempt to kill anybody until I had pa.s.sed a spot named Yalgarrin, about ten days journey to the north, and they then advised me indiscriminately to shoot everybody I saw; and were the more urgent in pressing the adoption of this course upon me from the fact of a quarrel existing between some of their relatives and the tribe dwelling there.

After I had exhausted the theme of my northern journey they desired me to give them some information with regard to England; I therefore related various circ.u.mstances which I thought would amuse them. Amongst other things I described the track of the sun in the heavens in those northern lat.i.tudes; this they fully understood, and it excited their most unqualified admiration. I now spoke to them of still more northern lat.i.tudes; and went so far as to describe those countries in which the sun never sets at a certain period of the year.

ITS IMPRESSION ON THE NATIVES.

Their astonishment now knew no bounds: "Ah I that must be another sun; not the same as the one we see here," said an old man; and in spite of all my arguments to the contrary, the others adopted this opinion. I wound up the night's conversation by an account of the diminutive Laplanders, clothed in skins of the seal instead of kangaroo; and amidst the shouts of applause that this account excited I laid down to rest. I this night observed a circ.u.mstance which had often before struck me, namely, that savages care but little for narratives concerning civilized man, but that anything connected with other races in the same state is most greedily received by them.

December 1.

Before sunrise this morning the two natives Yenmar and Nganmar, who had accompanied us from Perth, came to me and said that, from what I had told them last night, it appeared that some cause of quarrel existed between myself and the natives to the north; and that, however pacifically I might now express myself, they felt convinced that, if a fair opportunity offered, I should revenge myself upon some northern native. Now they, being southern men, had nothing whatever to do with these quarrels and disputes, and therefore they should at once return to Perth.

I did my utmost by means of protestations and promises to induce them to forego this resolution, but in vain; and the only boon I could gain from them was that they would accompany me to another tribe, distant about five miles, some of whom would probably go on with me; they, at the same time, a.s.sured me that they would preserve the most profound secrecy as to the fact of my having any cause of quarrel to the northward; and advised me to hold my tongue upon this point and quietly shoot the first man I saw there.

MEETING WITH OTHER NATIVES.

Finding that the arrangement pointed out by these natives was the only one I could adopt I was obliged to follow their advice, and we accordingly moved off in a north-east, and then north-east by east direction. After travelling over about four miles of country we heard the distant cries of natives, and soon after came up with and found them engaged in the pleasant occupation of carrying two wounded men on their shoulders into Perth. These men had quarrelled and had settled the dispute to their mutual satisfaction, as well as to that of their friends, by spearing each other through their respective thighs. One of the poor fellows was very ill and told me that his intention was to sit down at my house in Perth until he was well--and he kept his promise.

I had many friends amongst these natives and soon selected four to accompany me, their names were Warrup, Jenna, Dwer, and Ugat. There were five northern natives with the tribe who had never seen white men; they seemed to view us with great suspicion at first, but the present of a little bread soon placed us on the most friendly terms; and, after about half an hour's halt, we separated, they proceeding to Perth whilst we pursued a northerly course. After having made about four miles in this direction we halted for the day at the head of the Lake Moolore.

LAKE COUNTRY.

December 2.

We started before dawn, travelling in nearly a straight line across the country, our compa.s.s course being 329 degrees from the north. After we had made about three miles we reached a swampy lake, called Nirrooba, covered with wild-fowl. We here halted and prepared our breakfast whilst the natives went out to hunt. I soon shot a brace of wild ducks, and they speared nine; I now gave little Ugat my gun, and he brought in four more ducks, making a total of fifteen. Part of these we cooked, and kept the remainder for our dinner. I forgot to mention that we yesterday shot twelve parakeets.

I wandered for some distance about the eastern side of this lake and saw some very good land, I should say at least fifty acres; and, in addition to this land of the best quality, there was plenty of good feed for cattle all round the lake.

DELAY, AND BIVOUACK.

At 2 P.M. we started again in a due north direction and, having proceeded about four miles, reached a lake called Nowoorgoop. We now changed our course to north and by west, and, after travelling six miles more, came to a lake called, by the natives, Beeulengurrinyup; the water was however so thick and muddy that I determined, although it was getting late, to proceed further; we therefore changed our course to north and by east, and after travelling for about four miles more reached another lake, called Maubeebee. This lake was about three-quarters of a mile long. Mr.

Smith's feet had latterly become so sore that he had been compelled to tie pieces of kangaroo skin over them, and thus equipped to walk without his half-boots; and, on coming in to our bivouac, I had the mortification to hear that, having been put carelessly on the horses, one of these boots had fallen down; I saw therefore that it would be necessary to let him and a native go back the next day upon the two horses we had with us for the purpose of finding it. To Europeans it would seem rather a visionary task to travel twelve or fourteen miles in a trackless forest in the hope of recovering a boot, but the natives' eyes are so keen that their finding it amounted to a matter of certainty.

LOVELY BIVOUACK.

Our bivouac this night had a beauty about it which would have made anyone possessed with the least enthusiasm fall in love with a bush life. We were sitting on a gently-rising ground which sloped away gradually to a picturesque lake surrounded by wooded hills, whilst the moon shone so brightly on the lake that the distance was perfectly clear, and we could distinctly see the large flocks of wildfowl as they pa.s.sed over our heads and then splashed into the water, darkening and agitating its silvery surface; in front of us blazed a cheerful fire, round which were the dark forms of the natives, busily engaged in roasting ducks for us; the foreground was covered with graceful gra.s.s trees and, at the moment we commenced supper, I made the natives set fire to the dried tops of two of these, and by the light of these splendid chandeliers, which threw a red glare over the whole forest in our vicinity, we ate our evening meal; then, closing round the fire, rolled ourselves up in our blankets and laid down to sleep.

December 3.

At dawn this morning Mr. Smith and Warrup started on the horses in search of his boot; and I spent the day in shooting wildfowl and various kind of game, as well as in collecting words from the natives for my vocabulary.

About 4 P.M. Mr. Smith returned with his boot and we all retired early to rest.

December 4.

We started at sunrise and travelled about six miles in the direction of 17 degrees, and then halted for breakfast at a lake called Boongarrup.

The whole of the country we pa.s.sed over this morning was sandy and bad, being thinly clothed with Banksia trees; but immediately about the lake there was, as usual, good land. We started immediately after breakfast as the natives told us we had a long journey to make. Our course now lay in the direction of 13 degrees. The country we pa.s.sed over was still of the same sandy nature; and after travelling about ten miles we made another lake.

STRANGER TRIBE. NATIVE TOILETTE.

The natives here saw the recent signs of strange blacks and insisted upon my coming to a halt whilst they painted themselves and made sundry additions to their toilette. I urged my remonstrances upon this head, but it was in vain. They said that we should soon see some very pretty girls; that I might go on if I liked, but that they would not move until they had completed their preparations for meeting their fair friends. I therefore made the best of it and sat myself down whilst they continued adorning themselves. This being done to their satisfaction, they came and requested my opinion as to their appearance; and as I intimated my most unqualified approval they became in high spirits, and gave a very animated description of the conquests they expected to make.

This weighty affair having been completed we again moved on, the natives keeping a careful lookout for the friends they expected to see. They at length espied one sitting in the rushes looking for small fish; but no sooner did he see the approaching party than he took to his heels as hard as he could, and two others whom we had not before observed followed his example.

MEETING WITH A NEW TRIBE.

Our native comrades now commenced hallooing to the fugitives, stating that I had come from the white people to bring them a present of rice and flour. Moreover Jenna shouted out to his uncle, "Am not I your nephew--why then should you run away?" This and similar speeches had, at length, the desired effect. First one of them advanced, trembling from head to foot, and when I went forward to meet him and shook hands with him it rea.s.sured the others, and they also joined our party, yet still not without evident signs of fear. An old man now came up who could not be induced to allow me to approach him, appearing to regard me with a sort of stupid amazement; neither horses or any other of those things which powerfully excited the curiosity of the others had the least charm for him, but his eyes were always fixed on me with a look of eagerness and anxiety which I was unable to account for.

We explained to the strange natives that we intended to halt for the night in this neighbourhood, and asked them to show us a good spot with plenty of water and gra.s.s. At the same time those I had with me stated to the others that unless the women and children came in I would give no rice or flour. This declaration was however wholly unauthorised by my sanction, and arose from their desire of exhibiting their personal attractions to the ladies of these parts; but, feeling rather disposed to see a little savage flirtation, I raised no objection to it.

The oldest of the natives, who appeared to regard me with so much curiosity, went off for the purpose of collecting the women whilst we proceeded to our place of halt. After going about three miles in a due north direction we made a river coming from an east and by south direction, and here called by the natives Goonmarrarup; it lies in rather a deep valley, and at this point consisted of large pools connected by a running stream about 20 yards wide. There was plenty of wildfowl upon these pools and Ugat soon shot some for us.

SCENERY.

The scenery here was very picturesque: high wooded hills were upon each side of us, and the valley was open and rather thinly timbered; but the few trees it contained were of considerable size and beauty. Beneath one of these we prepared our bivouac, the strange natives doing their utmost to render themselves useful. They had never before seen white people, and the quickness with which they understood our wants and hastened to gratify them was very satisfactory.

MEETING WITH NATIVE WOMEN.

After we had tethered the horses and made ourselves tolerably comfortable we heard loud voices from the hills above us: the effect was fine for they really almost appeared to float in the air; and as the wild cries of the women, who knew not our exact position, came by upon the wind, I thought it was well worth a little trouble to hear these savage sounds under such circ.u.mstances. Our guides shouted in return, and gradually the approaching cries came nearer and nearer.

CURIOUS SUPERSt.i.tION. CEREMONIES.

I was however wholly unprepared for the scene that was about to take place. A sort of procession came up, headed by two women down whose cheeks tears were streaming. The eldest of these came up to me and, looking for a moment at me, said, "Gwa, gwa, bundo bal," "Yes, yes, in truth it is him;" and then, throwing her arms round me, cried bitterly, her head resting on my breast; and, although I was totally ignorant of what their meaning was, from mere motives of compa.s.sion I offered no resistance to her caresses, however disagreeable they might be, for she was old, ugly, and filthily dirty; the other younger one knelt at my feet, also crying.

At last the old lady, emboldened by my submission, deliberately kissed me on each cheek, just in the manner a French woman would have done; she then cried a little more and, at length relieving me, a.s.sured me that I was the ghost of her son who had some time before been killed by a spear-wound in his breast. The younger female was my sister; but she, whether from motives of delicacy or from any imagined backwardness on my part, did not think proper to kiss me.

My new mother expressed almost as much delight at my return to my family as my real mother would have done had I been unexpectedly restored to her. As soon as she left me my brothers and father (the old man who had previously been so frightened) came up and embraced me after their manner, that is, they threw their arms round my waist, placed their right knee against my right knee, and their breast against my breast, holding me in this way for several minutes. During the time that the ceremony lasted I, according to the native custom, preserved a grave and mournful expression of countenance.

This belief, that white people are the souls of departed blacks, is by no means an uncommon superst.i.tion amongst them; they themselves, never having an idea of quitting their own land, cannot imagine others doing it; and thus, when they see white people suddenly appear in their country, and settling themselves down in particular spots, they imagine that they must have formed an attachment for this land in some other state of existence; and hence conclude the settlers were at one period black men, and their own relations. Likenesses either real or imagined complete the delusion; and from the manner of the old woman I have just alluded to, from her many tears, and from her warm caresses, I feel firmly convinced that she really believed I was her son, whose first thought upon his return to earth had been to re-visit his old mother, and bring her a present. I will go still farther and say that, although I did not encourage this illusion, I had not the heart to try to undeceive the old creature and to dispel her dream of happiness. Could I have remained long enough to have replaced this vain impression by a consoling faith I would gladly have done it; but I did not like to destroy this belief and leave her no other in the place of it.

The men next proceeded to embrace their relation Jenna in the same manner they had before done me; and this part of the ceremony was now concluded.

The women, who had retired after having welcomed me, again came in from behind some bushes, where the children all yet remained and, bringing several of them up to me, insisted on my hugging them. The little things screamed and kicked most l.u.s.tily, being evidently frightened out of their wits; but the men seized on and dragged them up. I took the youngest ones in my arms, and by caresses soon calmed their fears; so that those who were brought afterwards cried to reach me first, instead of crying to be taken away.

A POINT OF HONOUR.

A considerable time had been occupied by these various occurrences, which to me had been most interesting; but one of a more painful character was now to follow. It appears that a sister of the native Jenna had been speared and killed by a man who at present was resident with this tribe; and, although most of them were on friendly terms with this native, they conceived that Jenna was bound to revenge her death in fair and open fight. The old lady (my mother) went up to him and, seizing his merro, or throwing-stick, told him that the man who had killed his sister was at a little distance; "and if," said she, "you are not a man, and know not how to use this, let a woman's hand try what it can do," at the same time trying to force it from him. All the time that she was thus pretending to wrench his merro away she indulged in a most eloquent speech to endeavour to rouse his courage. I do not know enough of the language to translate it with proper spirit or effect, as I only caught the general meaning: it had however a great effect on Jenna; and some young ladies coming in at the conclusion, his mind was instantly made up; indeed the certainty that bright eyes were to look upon his deeds appeared to have much the same effect upon him that it had upon the knights of old and, jumping up, he selected three good spears (all the men being willing to lend him theirs) and hurried off to an open s.p.a.ce where his antagonist was waiting for him.

NATIVE MODE OF COMBAT.

The combats, one of which was now about to take place, much resemble the ancient tournaments. They are conducted with perfect fairness. The combatants fight in an open s.p.a.ce, their friends all standing by to see fair play, and all the preliminaries as to what blows are to be considered foul or fair are arranged beforehand, sometimes with much ceremony.

Taking into account the fantastic ornaments and paintings of the natives, the graceful att.i.tudes they throw themselves into either when trying to avoid the spears of their enemy, or about to throw their own; and the loud cries and wild motions with which they attempt to confuse and terrify their adversaries, I must confess that if any exhibition of this nature can be considered showy or attractive, this has no ordinary claims to admiration.

NATIVE DUEL. REVENGEFUL COMBAT AND MURDER PREVENTED.

I am however not fond of shows in which the safety of my fellow-creatures is concerned, and on the present occasion was very anxious that nothing of the kind should take place; for before I could induce Jenna to come with me, I had pa.s.sed my word for his safety, and I could not bear the thought of his being now either killed or wounded. When therefore the natives came to request our attendance at this spectacle, which they evidently expected would afford us great amus.e.m.e.nt, I intimated my decided disapproval of it: at first they imagined that this reluctance arose from some apprehension of a quarrel upon our parts, and to remove this the greater part of the men, who now amounted to sixteen, laid down their spears by our stores. I still however would not sanction the combat and, taking up my gun, intimated my intention of seeing that nothing was done to injure Jenna; upon this my brothers proceeded in a friendly way to hold me: which is exactly what one sees in England when two men, who have not the least intention in the world of hurting one another, declare in a loud tone their fixed determination of proceeding to the most desperate extremities; whilst mutual friends stand by and appear with the utmost difficulty to prevent them from putting their threats in execution. It was just in this manner that my soi-disant brothers held me, apparently not entertaining the least doubt but that I would easily allow myself to be persuaded not to interfere. I had now recourse to another expedient, and this was to declare to those about me that, if either of the combatants was wounded, I should instantly pack up the flour and rice and proceed to the white men's fires. This had the desired effect: those around me started off and put the holding system so effectually in force that the other natives and the two combatants soon came in.