DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-03-13

| anu relhalned with them for a pOOd
, many years; he gradually learned thei!
language, and, in the course of time
discovered to what he owed his good
fortune.
IL seems that the mound where he fell
down exhausted was the grave of their
chief who had just died. The stick that
ne found in the mound and took to assist
him in walking, was the staff which the
chlef had carried for years, as the badge
OF his office. When the runaway con.
Wet appeared with this staff in his hand
ne was taken at once as the resurrectcd
chief, in accordance with the belief al
ready mentioned, which the natives ex-
press with the words: "Die black fel.
low, jump up white fellow"
The man had the good sense to rule
the tribe so that it was not likely to sus-
pect any thing wrong about their pocu-
liar belief as to the manner of the return
OF their chief. He taught them various
things that were useful, and showed
how they could make war upon their
nelghbors more successfully than they
had done before. At that time the tribes
were generally at war with each other,
which was very fortunate thing for the
white settlers If the blacks had COM
blned against the strangers the latter
would have had very hard time of it.
l have heard an interesting story of
an experience with the Australian blacks
which will endeavor to give, as nearly
as possible, in the words of the narrator:
| was in the service of the company
that built the telegraph line across Aus
tralia from Adelaide to Port Darwin. and
after the line was completed | had
charge of one of the interior stations.
The blacks gave us some trouble, but
not much while we were building the
line: the fact was that the construction
parties were sufficiently large to give
them warm reception, in case of an at
tack, and they prudently let US alone.
They used to come around where we
were at work, and one day the principal
man among them walked for an hour or
two along the line making critical
examination of the posts and wires, and
pacing the distance between the posts |
Then he strobe up to me and said,
with an accent of insOlence:
'Nle think white fellow one big fool
When tried to find out his reason for |
expressing contempt for US in this way,
he pointed to the telegraph line and |
said:
:, I,1,hnt pinna, Of fence never stop cat |
Before | could explain what tn6 sup
posed fence was really intended for, he
walked off with his nose very much in
he air, and | never saw him again tony
Life at the telegraph station was very
onely, as there were no settlers for
many miles, and we were only four
white men at the station, two opera tors
md two repairers, and one of the oper-
Ltors, Mr.. Chatham, was accompanied by
lis wife. The blacks came about the
'lace to beg; we never allowed them to
inter- the building as we did not wish
hem to know how it was arranged in
ide; and, furthermore, we thought that
they were once allowed an entrance it
Tould be difficult to keep them out af
erWards.
Things went on without trouble for
everal months, until the blacks had
orroboree in little patch of forest
bout mile from the station. Perhaps
ou don't know what corroborec is?
Well, it's a wild sort of dance, some {
hing like the dances among your Amer t
an Indians, with local variations to
nit the climate and people. The dane S
lg is done by the men, who get them /
lives up in the most fantastic manner |
with paint of various colors. !
hey daub their faces in streakS and i
atches, and trace their ribs with white t
lint, so that they seem to have taken i
, lodgings on the outside of the bodies
icy belong to instead of the 1inside. S
)metimes they are entirely naked, ex- '
pting the paint and at others they t
ear strips of opossum skin around their
aists and feathers in their hair. There t
G certain dances in which all the men
id women of tribe may join, and (
hers where several tribes participate. a
lese last dances are very apt to end in O
fight as the dancers work themselves n
to condition of frenzy, i'll which the I
mbative spirit is likely to display it.
If. a
At the corroboree | have referred to, n
ere were men from several tribes, and W
nseuuently we feared mischief. The G,
incipal building of the station was a
'ong block-house, and we made prcpar-
ons to defend it vigorously in case Of !.
;ack. We had half dozen blacks in =,
r service; they came from tribe in fo
other part of Australia, and as the ~ ~
Id blacks have great hostility for y,
v people of their color who GO into the -,
vice of the white man. there was no -.
niger of their deserting us. They would ~
We been killed instantly if they had th
ltured near the corroborce, and there ~ N.Y.
G were inclined to stick very close to n r.
block-house. ro
'wo of our black retainers went as oa
.r as they dared to the scene OF the mr.
ICE, and it was understood that they r..
re to run home and give the signal in N
e the dancers showed signs of moving in,
our direction. The dance began 70.
lie after sunset, and in the still night LIN
we could distinctly hear the shout 20,
of the blacks and tho sound OF their CO,
ms as time was kept for their move 1,i
nts. tht