Toonda’s tribe — disposition1 of the natives — arrival of Camboli — his energy of character — Mr. Poole’s return — leave the Darling — remarks on that river — Cawndilla — the old Boocolo — leave the camp for the hills — reach a creek2 — wells — Topar’s misconduct — ascend3 the ranges — return homewards — leave Cawndilla with a party — reach Parnari — move to the hills — journey to N. west — heavy rains — return to camp — Mr. Poole leaves — leave the ranges — descent to the plains — Mr. Poole’s return — his report — Flood’s creek — aquatic4 birds — ranges diminish in height.
Toonda left us on our arrival at this place, to go to his tribe at Cawndilla, but returned the day Mr. Poole left us, with the lubras and children belonging to it, and the natives now mustered5 round us to the number of sixty-six. Nadbuck, who the reader will have observed was a perfect lady’s man, made fires for the women, and they were all treated as our first visitors had been with a cup of tea and a lump of sugar. These people could not have shewn a greater mark of confidence in us than by this visit; but the circumstances under which we arrived amongst them, the protection we had given to some of their tribe, and the kind treatment we had adopted towards the natives generally, in some measure accounted for this, nevertheless there was a certain restlessness amongst the men that satisfied me they would not have hesitated in the gratification of revenge if they could have mustered sufficiently6 strong, or could have caught us unprepared.
It was clear that the natives still remembered the first visit the Europeans had made to them, and its consequences, and that they were very well disposed to retaliate7. It was in this matter that Nadbuck’s conduct and representations were of essential service, for he did not hesitate to tell them what they might expect if they appeared in arms. Mr. Poole was short and stout8 like Sir Thomas Mitchell, and personally very much resembled him; moreover, he wore a blue foraging9 cap, as, I believe, Sir Thomas did; be that as it may, they took Mr. Poole for that officer, and were exceedingly sulky, and Nadbuck informed us that they would certainly spear him. It was necessary, therefore, to explain to them that he was not the individual for whom they took him, and we could only allay10 their feelings by the strongest assurances to that effect; for some time, indeed, they were inclined to doubt what we said, but at length they expressed great satisfaction, and to secure himself still more Mr. Poole put on a straw hat. Nevertheless, there were manifestations11 of turbulence12 amongst the younger men on several occasions, and they certainly meditated13, even though, for particular reasons, they refrained from any act of violence.
The constant rain had made the ground in a sad state. There was scarcely any stirring out of the tents into the tenacious14 clay of the flat in which they were pitched; and the Darling, continuing to rise, overflowed15 its banks, drove our cattle from their feed, and obliged us to send them to a more distant point. In the midst of all this we were, on the 13th, most agreeably surprised by the appearance of our friend Camboli, with two other natives from Lake Victoria. Camboli brought despatches and letters in reply to those I had sent from the lake. It is impossible to describe the unaffected joy this poor native evinced on seeing us again. He had travelled hard to overtake us, and his condition when he arrived, as well as that of his companions proved that they had not spared themselves; but neither of them shewed the same symptoms of fatigue16 as Camboli. His thighs17 and ancles, and the calves18 of his legs were much swollen19, and he complained of severe pain in his back and loins; but he was excited beyond measure, and sprang about with surprising activity whilst his comrades fell fast asleep. “Papung,” he exclaimed, meaning paper or letters. “I bring papung to Boocolo,” meaning me; “to Sacoback,” meaning Doctor Browne; “and Mr. Poole, from Gobbernor,” the Governor; “Hugomattin,” Mr. Eyre; “Merilli,” Mr. Scott of Moorundi; “and Bullocky Bob. Papung Gobbernor, Boocolo, Hugomattin.” Nothing could stop him, nor would he sit still for a moment. There were, at the fire near the tents, a number of the young men of the Williorara tribe; and it would appear, from what occurred, that they were talking about us in no friendly strain. Certain it is that they made some remark which highly offended our lately arrived envoy20, for he suddenly sprang upon his feet, and, seizing a carabine, shook it at them in defiance21, and, pointing to the tents, again shook it with all the energy and fearlessness of a savage22, and he afterwards told us that the natives were “murry saucy23.” The scene was of a kind that is seldom if ever witnessed in civilized24 life.
The reader may be assured we took good care of him and his companions; but his excitement continued, even after he had laid down to sleep; yet, he was the first man up on the following morning, to cut a canoe for Mr. Browne, who wished to cross the river, with a young lad of the name of Topar, a native of the place, who had been recommended to me by Mr. Eyre, a fine handsome young man, about eighteen years of age, and exceedingly prepossessing in appearance; but I am sorry to say with very few good qualities. He was a boy about eight when Sir Thomas Mitchell visited the neighbourhood, and, with his mother, was present at the unfortunate misunderstanding between his men and the natives on that occasion.
The bark was not in a fit state to be stripped from the tree, so that Camboli had a fatiguing25 task, but he got the canoe ready in sufficient time for Mr. Browne to cross the river and visit Sir Thomas Mitchell’s last camp, which I had intended doing myself, in order to connect it with my own, if circumstances had not, at that time, prevented me.
Mr. Poole returned on the 15th, after an absence of four days and a half. He informed me that he had crossed the creek, as I had imagined, where there was little or no vegetation in its vicinity. He then took up a north-west course for the hills, and rode over flats of polygonum for nine miles, when he crossed the bed of a large lagoon26; arriving at a round hill, somewhat detached from the main range, at half-past one, and searched about for water, but found none, neither could the native point out any to him. He therefore descended27 to the plains, and encamped.
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1
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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2
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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3
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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4
aquatic
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| adj.水生的，水栖的 | |
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5
mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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6
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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7
retaliate
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| v.报复，反击 | |
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9
foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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10
allay
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| v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等) | |
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11
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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12
turbulence
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| n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流 | |
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13
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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14
tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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15
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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16
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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17
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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18
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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19
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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20
envoy
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| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
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21
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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22
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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23
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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24
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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25
fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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27
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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