Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26
Is the Only Guide Across the Central
Desert of Australia.
BY RAIL, By CANAL AND ON FOOT
The Journey is Toilsoms and Dangerous,
but Interesting.
MYSTERY OF TIE DUKITE SNAKE
WRITTEN FoR THE DIsPArcH.i

of inner Queensland, one by the north
through dry valleys and acrUss dusty
mountains, hotter with every mile of north
OF the northern coast. close upon the equator,
which seems hotter there than anywhere
else within its torrid span.
The Queensland road marks Its track be-
yond mIsIaking in the bleaching bones OF
Cattle that have fallen by the wayside, The
great Northern road is marked BY light
thread OF wire strung overhead, Tor it is the
course of the overland telegraph, which
links Australia and New Zealand with the
worlds news and daily cares. A railway is
now building along this route and the work
of construction is prosecuted from either end
SO rapidly that it will not be long before
luxurious travel is possible over what is
now the path of toll.
TOBACCO A NECESSITY.
The travellers baggage must be cut down
to what can be carried in saddle bags. The
wise traveller adopts the theory that q suf-
fcient supply oil tobacco must be carried
aud as much OF other things as space per-
mits. 1t is the only currency o the bush
a good quality Tor the white men to be met,
rank blackstrap for the aboriginels.
Of course We took the new railroad as far
as it was built. This was Baltana, a tvpi-
cal track town, which remined one of tne
mushroom growths Of the days when the
Pacific roads were building. Here the real
journey began aud the means of locomotion
was the camel. 1t is barely possible that
there exists some locomotive agent one de-
gree more intolerable than the camel If so
it is not known. The wretched beast MAIN
tains distinct gait in each of its lour legs,
it swings its head with the motions OF still
fifth mode of progression, and the roll OF
its body is resultant OF all three aid yet
other forces not clearly to be identified.
Then the camel may crane his neck and bite
you and the general air OF wickedness of the
Afghan driver keep you in suspense.
BOTH ARE IMPoRTATloNs.
Canels and Afghans were imported by
Sir Thomas Elder to develop his run, which
begins at Baltana aud extends tar into the
remote interior. Camels carry one over the
salt desert where horses could not live and
deposit the way arer at the station at . m
bum, where is a we'll, shanty aud col
lection OF horses which have more vicious
tricks than any herd o. the equine sort ever
bred to mischief and depravlty. The most
deceit ul of the herd was here acquired and
behaved Tor hundred miles beautifully
and tor the next thousand miles fendishiy,
until an iniqultous disposition killed HIM
in the desert.
After the new railroad, the camel, the
horse, no more experiments offered any in
ducements, and the remaining 500 miles
were performed with those only reliable
agents of locomotion, ones own ieet and
legs; and these long miles were the most en-
joyed. So much for the manner of making
the journey.
THE TELEGRAPH WIRE
The road is no road, it is not even a trail
to sight less keen than the black fellows
eye. The plain direction is never to lose
sight OF the telegraph wire which says be-
tween distant poles OF iron pipe so slender
that mile away they can hardly be dis
cerned. Following the faint shadow of the
line upon the sand, one comes to springs or
pools OF filthy water at long intervals, and
it is necessary to take the inland trip in
Australia to discover how filthy water can
be and yet be greedily Tapped uD to quench
thirst.
At intervals of about $50 miles are found
the relay stations OF the telegraph, uni
formly neat structures OF stone, where two
men live III lonely company, watching that
their wires work uninterruptedly, reporting
once a day to the end of the line that they
are WE'LL and or the rest of the time listen
ing to the click of the cipher which hides
rom them the news of the world. which
might alleviate the intolerable monotony of
their lie. Sometimes there comes q break
in the wire, and that breaks the monorony,
Tor it may mean that some starving wanderer
has taken that means OF summoning succor.
NATIVES FEAR THE WIRE.
A simple galvanometer test sufices to fix
the exact position OF the break, and with his
kit OF repairing tools the operator carries
food and drink to restore a famished man.
There is NO chance that it is trick OF the
wild natives, Tor one and all they dread the
mysterious wire with great fear and never
dare to 60 beneath it except in the darkness
Of night.
In such gradual journeying the scenery
changes but slowly. The first third Of the
way lies over deceptive plains which seem
level and yet strangely bar the view with
their unnoticed elevations This is the
land oil baked clay, OF blue bush and salt
bush and the thorny spiniiex. The second
third OF the journey is among mountains
and rolling hills. Here are no great heights
and no deep valleys, yet the change is an
agreeable one; water begins to be more pIen-
tiful and of better quality; there are even
traces oil rain in the shape of green vegeta-
ion. There are drv stretches between the
ranges, but Tor the first time clouds are seen
in the sky with promise of moisture, prom
se which every northward step brings
nearer realization.
A MYTHICAL SERPENT.
The final third of the way lies within the |
;ropics, showers begin to come and soon de- |
velop into down-pours. The dry plain |
changes to the rank sogginess of marsh land,
here are Suggestions of alligators, there are |
mosquitoes and all manner of venemous |
lies. At last Palmerston is reached on the |
,hore OF Port Darwin, which opens into tie
Indian Ocean. The journey is over, and at |
he end no one thinks it in any way re-
markable.
Nowhere has there been sign of the Du- |
rite snake, which alone could make it worth |
while to take such a trip. ALI bellevs in it.
All are convinced that the man who kills |
me Dukite snake must Immediately kill its
nate or be relentlessly hunted down and |
lain by the bereaved serpent. His habitat
S loosely said to be up somewhere on the |
inc of the telegraph. Three months search |
allied to discover even a single Dukite; faith |
q this serpent has gone with shattered faith |
n many another serpent who has proved |
himself a myth. His existence is confined |
o the musical verse of John Boyle o. Reilly,
rho heard of the Dukite when he wore let
ers in the bush.