The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-30

One day I saw q number of small
snakes swarmfng around the foot OF
| tree and was just about to knock some
of them over with my stick when Yam
ba called out to me excitedly not to mo-
lest them.
They then began to climb the tree,
and she explained to me that this clear
ly indicated the advent of the wet sea"
SON i did not, wish you to kill the
snakes, she said, because l wanted to
see if they would take refuge in the
| trees from the coming floods"
been the. slightest Indication of any great
change in the weather. Many months
must have elapsed since rain had last
extremely. low between its extraordi-
narily high banks and the country all
around was dry and parched; but even
occurred which told of impending
changes. l was oppressed with a sense
of coming evil. listened intently when
Yamba drew my attention, but at first
all 1 could hear was a curious rumbling
sound, far away in the distance. This
noise gradually increased in volume,
was utterly unable to account for it. 1
also noticed That the river was becom
ing strangely agitated, and was swirl
ing along at ever increasing speed. Sud-
denly an immense mass of water came
rushing down with a frightful roar, in
one solid wave, and then 1t dawned
menced raining among the hills, and that
the tributaries of the river were now
sending down their floods into the main
stream, which was rising with astonish-
ing rapidity. In the course of a couple
of hours it had risen between thirty and
forty feet. Yamba seemed little anx-
gestion that we had better build a hut
on some high ground and remain secure
in that locality without attempting to
continue our march while the rains last
ed, and it was evident that they were
now upon us.
We therefore set to work to construct
CHI rlr
fastened to a framework Of poles by
means of creepers 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, re-
main indoors throughout the whole of the
day, but went in and out, hunting for
food and catching game just as usual, the
torrential rain which beat down upon our
naked bodies being rather pleasant than
otherwise. We also collected a stock of
provisions to take with US kangaroo and
opossum, of course; but principally wild
honey, cabbage palm and roots of vari-
Gus kinds These preparations occupied
us for several days, and by the time we
had arranged everything for our journey
the weather had become settled once
more. Yamba remarked to me that II we
simply drifted down the Roper River we
should be carried to the open sea, nor
would the time necessary be very long,
since the swollen current was now run
ming like a mill race. Our catamaran, of
course afforded no shelter of any kind,
but we carried some sheets of bark to
At length we pushed OH on our event
full voyage, and no sooner had we got
fairly into the current than we were car
ried along with prodigious rapidity, and
without the least exertion on our part,
except in the matter of steering, which
was Conducted by means of paddles from
rapid progress that felt inclined to go
on all night, but shortly after dusk
ca amoa on pf the bank i until morning nor anu
we passed any number of submerged
trees and on several OF these we found
snakes coiled among the branches. Some
of these reptiles we caught and ate.
About the middle of the second day we
heard tremendous roar ahead, as though
there were rapids IN Iae 20 pea o II the the fve
maran out of it's course, no matter how
hard we might have striven, the current
being absolutely irresistible, Inc o banks *
with the result that the water in the
middle actually became convex, so ire
mendous was the rush IN that narrow
passage Yanba cried out. to me to lie
fat on the catamaran and hold on as
tightly as 1 could until we reached
SMOOTH water agaifp. .n THIS MS she she did her
Nearer and nearer we. were swept to
the great seething caldron of boiling
and foaming waters, and at last, with
tremendous splash, we entered the ter
rifying commotion. We went right I'M
der and so great was the force of the
water that had l not been clinging te-
naciously to the catamaran l must in
fallibiy have been swept away to certain
death. Presently, however, we shot into
less troubled waters and then continued
our course, very little the worse for
having braved these terrible rapids
Again we camped on shore that night,
and we're off at an early hour next morn
ing.
stocked an additional quantity of edible
roots and smoked meats, and although
we lost considerable portion of these in
he mir
enough for a few days supply.
In consequence of the ever-increasing