On Moonlight Nights They Like To Roam
About And Pick Choice Morsels Of Bush On And Off Until Daylight.
In this
waste corner of the earth where now we battled our way, the poor brutes
wandered aimlessly about,
Now trying a mouthful of sharp spinifex and now
the leaves of a eucalyptus; turning from these in disgust, a little patch
of weed might be discovered by one lucky camel; no sooner would he hurry
towards it than the others would notice it, and then a great scramble
ensued and the weakest went without - though I have seen the strong help
the weak, as in the case of Czar, who, with his powerful jaws, would break
down branches for Misery, then quite young and without the requisite
teeth. How fine they look with their long necks stretched upwards with the
heads thrown back and the sensitive lips extended to catch some extra
fresh bunch of leaves! How cunningly they go to work to break a branch
that is out of reach; first the lowest leaf is gently taken in the lips
and pulled down until the mouth can catch hold of some hanging twig - along
this it is worked, and so from twig to branch, a greater strain being
exerted as the branches increase in size, until finally the main limb of
the branch is seized, and bent and twisted until broken. Often they try
for one branch time after time, for having set their minds on a particular
morsel, nothing will satisfy them until they have it.
No such scene could be watched from our camp on the ridge. But still we
had something out of the common to look upon in the shape of hills ahead,
and my hopes were high that we should soon see the last of the desert.
Away to the North high points and bold headlands stood out black and clear
above the sea of sand, tablelands and square-edged hills with some high
peaks rising from them - the most imposing hills we had seen since passing
Mount Burgess, near Coolgardie. From this point little could be determined
as to their character even with glasses, for they were, as we afterwards
found, over thirty miles distant.
Between them and our camp numerous low detached, table-top hills and
conical mounds could be seen - none of any size, but remarkable in shape
and appearance. These I named the Forebank Hills, after a hill near
my home. These hills gave promise of better country, and, choosing a
prominent headland, I altered our course towards it the following
morning. We had not been travelling long before a smoke rose quite
close to us, and we had another opportunity of seeing native hunting
operations without being seen ourselves. A fine upstanding buck was
dodging about amongst the blazing spinifex and was too engrossed to
notice us; presently his occupation led him over the ridge and we saw him
no more. From the earliness of the hour - for the smokes as a rule do not
rise before 9 a.m. - it was clear that he could not have come far, so,
picking up his tracks, we followed them back to his camp. Though we were
not in great want of water, I considered it always advisable to let no
chance of getting some slip by, since one never can tell how long the
next may be in coming.
The tracks led us along the foot of one ridge; along the next, some
three hundred yards distant, the ladies of the tribe could be seen
marching along, laughing and chattering, and occasionally giving forth
the peculiar shrill yell which only the gins can produce. It is
impossible to describe a noise in writing, but the sound is not unlike a
rather shrill siren, and the word shouted is a long-drawn "Yu-u-u." There
is no mistaking the women's voices, the men's cry is somewhat deeper.
Both are rather weird sounds, more especially when heard in thick scrub
where one can see no natives, though one hears them all round. In the
spinifex they were easily seen, and to their cry an answering yell came
over the ridge and other women and children appeared. Presently they saw
our caravan, and the "Yu-u-u" became fainter and fainter as the group
scattered in all directions, and was lost to view. At the end of the
tracks we found a camp, and in it the only attempt at a roofed shelter
that we saw in the desert, and this merely a few branches leant against a
small tree. The camp-fire had spread and burnt the spinifex close by,
which gave the spot anything but an inviting appearance.
Under the shelter were huddled together, asleep, two gins and a young
man. I have never seen more intense astonishment expressed in any one's
face than that shown by these three when we roused them. All in their way
were peculiar and deserving of description. The young gin was by no means
uncomely; well-shaped and healthy-looking, with a skin black and shining
as a well smoked meerschaum, with beautiful teeth which were shown off to
advantage by an extensive smile, when she found that we had no murderous
intentions. The other gin was the most repulsive object I have ever
seen - like a hideous toad with wrinkled, baggy skin, with legs and arms so
thin as to be no more than skin stretched tight over very meagre
shinbones; and the face of this wretched being was a mass of festering
wounds, on which no one could look without pity and horror. The man, too,
was remarkable; an exceedingly smart young buck with an air of
irresponsibility about him that suggested madness - a suspicion amply
confirmed by his subsequent behaviour. His decorations added to his queer
appearance; scarred by deep gashes on chest and arms, his body was
daubed with red ochre, and his ribs picked out with white; on his head a
kind of chignon formed of grass, hair, and string held his matted locks
in place, like a bird's nest on his crown; he had neither beard nor
whiskers, and was not blessed with any article of clothing whatever.
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