The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-11-16

intended, and so we struck due north
and eventually reached flooded river
flowing eastward, which presently led
us to the sea. This river was proba-
bly, the Ropa, entering the Gulf of
Carpentaria, but as ] did not know of
the existence of such gulf / believed
we had reached the Queensland coast,
and at once inquired of the tribes
we met for the nearest settlement of
white men. These natives were the
most savage aud hostile 1 ever -en-
countered in all my wanderings. They
attacked at night, but, having been
warned by my native wife, we retired
from our gunyah, or shelter of boughs,
and slept in the bush without fire.
In the morning we would find our
shelter riddled with spears.
At length, after several months of
coasting, we found the land trending
to the west; and here, at Rallies Bay
probably, we found Malay proa. We
landed on the northern coast of Mel.
vile Island, and after we had again
reached the coast of the mainland
through Aspley Strait, we experienced
a terrible storm, which must have
driven us past Port Darwin. For
whole nights my native wife and l
would be immersed in the sea, cling
ing on to the gunwale of our frail
craft. At last, about eighteen months
after we had left my wife's home in
the Cambridge Gulf region, we one
day recognized certain islands aud
also the coast, and soon afterward we
found ourselves, to my great surprise,
at the very spot from which We had
started.
The next attempt made was to the
southwest, starting after some months
of rest, aud coasting in the dugout as
far as Kings Sound. flanded upon
and explored many OF the islands dot
ted along that extensive stretch Of
coast, and in some Of them 1 found
caves with rude drawings on the
rocks. On what was probably Bigge's
Island / found q cairn of stones,
which 1 readily saw must have been
the handiwork of white man. We
returned to the old camp overland,
crossing the King Leopold ranges,
which were finely wooded, and ap-
peared to be largely composed Of
granite.
We next struck what was probably
the Orde River, which we followed
down to Cambridge Gulf, and re-
turned along the coast to our own
home. On returning from this jour-
ney felt little inclination to make
another attempt, and for three years 1
lived among the natives, becoming ac-
customed to the life and finding it
not disagreeable. The desire to reach
civilization returned, aud about the
year 1873 I started with my wife, re-
solving this time to cross the conti
nent to the south, as I knew in q
vague kind of way that there were
great towns on the coast somewhere
to the south. l had only the very
haziest idea, however, of their posi-
ton. The tribes were very numer-
Gus, and altogether it was very thickly
populated. / never travelled due
south, but found it expeditions to go
from tribe to tribe and from water
hole to waterhole. Besides having my
native wife with me, I was armed with
a certain mystic message stick and,
best of all, I had the power of anus
ing the tribes by means of acrobatic
performances, my steel weapons, and
the bark of my dog, who could also
go through little performance on his
own account, dancing to the tune of
my reed whistle. / emphasize these
things because they saved my life
over and over again.
When we were perhaps seven
months out we came suddenly upon
four white men. At this time we were
with a small party of blacks, who we're
on punitive expedition. The party
had already been attacked by these
same white men and had retaliated,
and, therefore, they were by no means
disposed to be friendly. Naturally,
in the excitement Of the moment, /
forgot that / was virtually a black
man myself, and rushed upon them,
but they promptly fred upon us and
retreated. I now know them to have
been the Giles expedition OF 1874. 1
should point out that was perfectly
naked, like the savages, and was
anointed with the same protective
covering of black, greasy clay which
is used by the natives 10 ward off cold
and the attacks of insects, but apart
from this, the sun had long since
tanned my skin out of all resemblance
to European. Repulsed in this way
more than once, 1 despaired of ever
making my real character known.
Two or three weeks after the en-
counter my wife came upon the tracks
of q man whom she described as
white man, and as O man no longer in
his senses. She deducted this latter
fact from the eccentric circles which
the tracks followed. Following up
these tracks, we did find a white man
alone and dying from thirst. He was
hopelessly imbecile. He lived with
me for two years, serious incum-
brance, and never regained his in
telligence until just before he died.
He asked who 1 was, and where he
was, and then he said his name was
Gibson, and that he had been a men,
Der of the Giles expedition. The
place where he was lost was, / now
understand, called by the Giles ex-
pedition "Gibson's Desert" and it
lies in the southeast of Western Aus
tralia.
Al. ciInou,n dnnlh I r,nndn M, M.