Evening star., 1898-10-22

ishing rapdity. In the course of a couple
OF hours it had risen between thirty and
forty feet. Yamba seemed al little anxious,
and she approached me with suggestion
that we had better build a hut on some
high ground and remain secure in that To-
calfty, without attempting to continue our
march while the rains lasted: and 1t was
evident that they were now upon u.s.
The Coming DeIuee.
We therefore set to work TO construct n
comfortable little shelter of bark fastened
to a framework of poles'b means of GREEN
ers and climbing plants Thus, by the time
the deluge was fairly upon us we were
snugly ensconced in our little hut We did
not, however. remain indoors throughout
the whole of the day but went in a,d ON,
hunting for food and catching game inst as
usual the torrential rain which beat down
upon our bodies being rather pleasant than
otherwise. AT this time We had welcome
addition to our food in the form of cab
bage palms and wild honey We also start
ed building substantial catamaran. with
which to navigate the river (Which 7 az
terward learned was the Roper when the
floods had subsided. My versatile com
panlon procured few trunks of very light
timber and We fastened these logs toretbe
by means of long pins of hard wood and
then knitted them still more firmly toeetb
er with strips of kangaroo hide We also
collected stock of provisions to take win
us-kangaroo and opossum of course. hiIf
principally wild honey, cahbage-paim ard
roots of various kinds. These preparations
Occupied US l0E SeNefaI GAYS and " q
time We had arranged everything for orr
journey the weather had become settled
once more, IaE1ba remarked to me that If
we simply drifted down the Roper river we
should be carried to the open sea nor vouId
the time necessary be very long. since the
swollen current was now running like a
nl,iirace; M our catamaran, of course. afford
ed no shelter of any kind, but we carried
some sheets of bark to form seats for our
serves and the dog.
Of at Last.
Al length we pushed off on our eventfuI
voyage, and no sooner had we got fairly
into the current than we were carried
along with prodgious rapidity, and without
the least exertion on our part, except in
the matter of steering, which was conduct
ed by means of paddles from the side of
the craft. We made such rapid progress
that felt inclined to go on all night hut
shortly after dusk Yamba persuaded me to
pull inshore and camp on the hank until
morning.
We passed any number OF submerged
trees, and on several of these we found
srakes coiled among the branches. Atc1t
the middle of the second day We hea,t. a
tremendous roar ahead, as though there
were rapids in the bed of ,he river 1t WAS
now impossible to pull the catamaran out
OF Its course, no matter how hard we might
nave striven, the current being absolutely
irresistible. The banks narrowed as the
rapids Were reached, with the result that
mo
convex, SO tremendous was the rush in
that narrow passage. Yamba cried out 10
ME to lie fiat the catamaran and hoid
on as tightly as l could until we reached
smooth water again. This she d:d i,ersa sa,f
seiHlng hold of the dog also.
Into the Rapids
Nearer and nearer we were swent to the
great seething cauldron of boiling and
foaming waters, and at last with tra-
mendous splash, we entered the terrifying
commotion. We went right under. and so
great was the force of the water that had
l not been clingng tenaciously to the cata
maran must tnfallioly have been swapt
away to certain death. Pres antlv how
ever, We shot into less troubled waters ana
then continued our course very little the
worse for having braved these terrible ran
lbs, Again We camped on shore that night
and were off at an early hour next morn
ing. AS we glided swiftly on | noticed
that the river seemed to be growing tre-
mehdouSly wide We went. Yamba OK
pialned that we We're now getting into
very fat country, and therefore the great
stretch or water We Were padding ove;.
was caused by the flooding of the river
She also prophesied a rather bad time for,
US, as We should not be able to go ashore
at night and replenish our stock of pro
VISIONS fortunately we had a sufficient
supply of food with us on the catamaran
10 last at least two or three days longer
The last time We landed Yamba had stock
ed an additional quantity of edible roots
ara smoked meats, and although we lost
a considerable portion of thess. in shooting
the rapids there still remained enough for
few days supply.
IN consequence of the ever-incraasfng
width of the river, l found it difficult
matter to keep in the channel where the
current was, so / gave up the steering pad
die to famba, who seemed instinctively to
Know what course to take.