As we passed through the acacia scrub, we observed that the natives had
lately been engaged collecting the seed. The boughs of the trees were all
broken down, and there were numerous places where they had thrashed out
the seed, and heaped up the pods. These poor people must indeed be driven
to extremity if forced to subsist on such food, as its taste is so
disagreeable that one would hardly think their palates could ever be
reconciled to it. Natives had evidently been in our neighbourhood very
lately, but we saw none.
At this time I was exceedingly anxious both about Mr. Poole and Mr.
Browne, who were neither of them well. The former particularly complained
of great pain, and I regretted to observe that he was by no means strong.
About 10 o'clock on the morning of the last day of the year 1844, I was
with Tampawang at the head of the lagoon, trying to capture one of the
building rats, a nest of which we had found under a polygonum bush. We
had fired the fabric, and were waiting for the rats to bolt, when we saw
Morgan riding up to us. He stopped when he got to the water, and throwing
himself on the ground drank long at it. Seeing that he came without
anything for which he had been sent, I began to apprehend some
misfortune; but on questioning him I learnt that he had been at the
drays, and was on his return, when, stopping on the plains to let his
horses feed, he fell fast asleep, during which time they strayed, and he
was obliged to leave everything and walk until he overtook his horse near
the creek.
Pages:
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247