The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-23
from the water-hole into another hole
dug at the side.
THE WATER WITCH


of delicious cold water.
At the water-hole described above
birds We're rather plentiful, and when
they came down TO drink Yamba
knocked them over without difficulty
and they formed a very welcome ad-
dition to our daily bill of fare. In this
way we had a very pleasant rest for
four or five days. Continuing our jour-
ney once more, we pushed on till we
came to a well-wooded country, where
the eucalyptus fiourished nightly and
water was plentiful, but yet strange
to say, there was very little game in
this place. Soon after this l noticed
that Yamba grew a little anxious, and
she explained that as we had not come
across any kangarooS lately, nor met
any blacks, it was evident that the wet
season was coming on. We therefore
decided to steer for higher ground. and
accordingly went almost due north for
the next few days, until we reached the
banks of a big river, where we thought
it advisable TO camp.
One day / saw a number of small
snakes swarming round the foot of a
tree, and was just about to knock some
of them over with my stick when Yam
ba called out to me eXcitedly not to
modest them.
A BAROMETER OF SNAKES.
They then began to climb the tree,
and she explained to me that this clear
ly indicated the advent of the wet sea-
son. Il did not wish you TO kill the
snakes she said, because wanted to
see if they would take refuge in the
trees from the coming foods
Up to this time, however, there had
not been the slightest indication of any
great change in the weather. Many
months must have elapsed since rain
had last fallen in these regions, for the
river was extremely low between its
extraordinarily high banks, and the
country all round was dry and parched;
but even as we worked a remarkable
phenomenon occurred, which told of i'm
pending changes. l was oppressed with
a sense of coming evil. l listened in
tently when Yamba drew my atten-
ton, but at first all l could hear was a
curious rumbling sound, far away in
the distance. This noise gradually in
creased in volume, and came nearer
and nearer, but still was utterly I'M
able to account for it. 1 also noticed
that the river was becoming strangely
agitated, and was swirling along at
ever-increasing speed. Suddenly an
enormous mass of water came rushing
down with "a frightful roar, in one solid
wave, and then it dawned upon me
that ii must have already commenced
tributaries of the river were now send
ing down their floods into the main
stream, which was rising with aston
iShing rapidity. In the course of a
couple of hours it had risen between 80
and 40 feet. Yamba seemed a little
anxious, and she approached me with a
suggestion that we had better build a
hut on some high ground and remain
secure in that locality, without at
tempting to continue our march while
the rains lasted; and it was evident
that they were now upon us.
THE COMING DELUGE.
We therefore set to work to construct
a comfortable little shelter of bark,
fastened to a framework of poles by
means of creepers and climbing plants
Thus, by the time the deluge was fairly
upon US, we We're 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. At this
time we had a rather welcome addition
to our food in the form of cabbage
palms and wild honey. We also started
building a substantial catamaran with
which to navigate the river (Which 1
afterwards learned was the Roper
when the floods had subsidized. My YER
satile companion procured few trunks
of very light timber, and we fastened
these logs together by means of long
pins of hard wood, and then knitted
them still more tightly together with
strips of kangaroo hide. We also col
lected a stock Of provisions to take
with us-kangaroo and opoSsum, of
course; but principally wild honey,
cabbage-palm and roots of various
kinds. These preparations occupied us
for several days, and by the time we
had arranged everything for our jour-
ney the weather had become settled
once more. Yamba remarked to me
that if 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 running like a millstream.
Our catamaran, of course, AFFORDED no
shelter of any kind, but we carried
some sheets of bark to form seats for
ourselves and the dog.
OFF AT LAST.
AT length we pushed off on our event
full voyage, and no sooner had we got
fairly into the current than we were
carried along with prodigious rapidity
and without the least exertion on our
part, except in the matter of steering,
which was conducted by the means of
paddles from the side of the craft. We
made such rapid progress that 1 felt
inclined to go on all night, but shortly
after dusk Yamba persuaded me to pull
inshore and camp on the bank until
morning.
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 a tremendous roar ahead,
as though there were rapids in the bed
of the river 1t was now impossible TO
pull the catamaran out of its course, no
matter how hard we might have
striven, the current being absolutely ir-
resistible. The banks narrowed as the
rapids were reached, with the result
that the water in the middle actually
became convex, so tremendous was the
rush in that narrow passage. Yamba
cried out to me to lie fiat in the cata-
maran and hold on as tightly as /
could until we reached smooth water
again. This she did herself, Selling hold
of the dog also.
PLUNGE INTO THE RAPIDS.
Nearer and nearer we were swept to
the great seething cauldron OF boiling
and foaming waters, and at last, wi h |
a tremendous splash, we entered the
terrifying commotion. We went right |
under, and~so great was the force of /
the water that had / not been clinging |
to the catamaran / must |
have been swept away to GER
tain death. Presently. however, we shot |
into less troubled waters and then con- !
tinued our course, very little the worse |
for having braved these terrible rapids. !
Again we camped on shore that night, |
and were off at an early hour next !