Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24

In those early days it was always my OBJ
Ject to make the acquaintance of tribes
VINO could render me assistance in escaping
overland The desire TO reach civilization
returned and about the year 1913 | started
win my Vile, resolving this time to cross
the continent to the south, as / knew in a
vague kind of way THAT there were great
towns on the coast somewhere TO the south
1 had only the haZiest idea, however of
their position. On our way south we first
crossed range of granite mountains run
nlhS cast and west. After crossing this
range We came to low and slightly I'M
dulating country covered with dark, chloe
CIate cOIored loam of great depth. l founi
here most extraordinary richness of yege-
tatlon and animal life, especially a kind of
water rat. In the soil along the banks of
creeks in this fertile region | found creeks
with very deep channels cut in the soft
rich loam We were. | should think about
week crossing this rich country, coming
more or less south. The tribes were very
numerous, and altoge her it was very thick
y populated. ! never Travelled due south
but found It expeditions to go from tribe
10 tribe and from water hole to water hole
AS lar as possible, | kept on my own
course bidding the tribes adieu when our
ways lay in dramatically opposed direc-
tons. Besides having my native wife with
me, l was armed with certain mystic
message stick. and. best of all | had the
power OF amusing the tribes by means of
acrCbauc performances, my steel weapons
and the bark OF NY dog. who could also 90
through a little performance on his own
account. dancing to the tune of nv reed
whistle. | emphasize these things because
they saved my life over and over again
somehow | always nanag cd to ingratiate
myself with even the most hostile tribes
Travelling with Native Tribes.
When We had been three or four weeks
out we traversed a rough country of low
limestone ranges, Astounding in caves. in
contrast with the granite ranges further
north. in which l had found no caves. In
these caves l found bones also the skull
Of a kangaroo, which was so large that at
frst l took 1t to be that of a horse Its
skull was probably two or three times
larger than the skull of the largest kan
CARGO l ever saw. 1t belonged probably to
an extinct species
In traversing the desert belts. which
We crossed on this journey and indeed
at all times. we were in the company of
the various tribes we met consequently
our course was often east and west instead
OF directly southwark, according to the
water holes, the nature of the country
and other circumstances. Thus we wan
dered from place to place. sometimes ac-
conrany!ng parties of the natives on their
hunting and fighting expeditions, but al
ways making for the south whenever DOS
sible, crossing ranges and desert tracks
IN the desert country water is obtain
ed from the roots of the Malice tree a sDe-
cles Of eucalyptus; the roots, which lie
OF about twelve feet. They are about two
inches in diameter, and are cut in lengths
OF about Two feet. and sucked or allowed to
mTah INTO vessel or skin water bag
These roots yield pure and refreshing va
ter of slightly earthly flavor.
RepuIsed by Whites
When we wera perhaps seven months
out We came suddenly upon four white
men. At this time we were with a small
RI of
expedition. The party had already bean
attacked by these same white men and had
retaltated, 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
ana rushed upon them, but they promptly
hred upon us and retreated. / now know
tPem TO nave been the Giles expedition of
1874; l should point out that l was per-
fectIy naked, like the savages, and was
arolnted with the anne 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
lchs since tanned my skin out of all re-
| semblance 10 European. Repused in
this way more than once. / despaired of
| ever making my real character known
| Two or three weeks after the encounter
my wife came upon the tracks of man
whom she described as a white man
and as man no longer in his senses She
deduced this latter fact from the eccentric
circles which the tracks followed Follow
ing up these tracks, we did find a white
! man alone and dying from thirst He was
| hopelessly imbeciIe. He lived with me for
| two years, a serious incumbrance. and
never regained his intelligence until lust
| before he died. He asked who l was, and
| where he was. and then n said his name
| was Gibson. and that he had been a mem
| Der of the Giles expedition The place
| where he was lost was, l now understand
| called by the Giles expedition "Gihson's
| Desert" and it lies in the southeast of
| western Australia.
| Becomes King
After Gibson's death l made I'D nv mind
TO end my days in solitude, and the reason
| for this was partly that L seemed doomed
| to disappointment every time an oppor-
tunity offered itself to return to civiliza-
| ton, and partly, also, on the urgent solic-
| itation of my wife and the tribes with
| whom l lived. They pointed out to me
| that L had everything a man could want,
| and that l could be king among them. 1t
! was, moreover, quite evident to them that
| my fellow white men did not want me-
| Thus for something like twenty years I
| made my home with them in the noun
| famous region near the center of the con.
| tinent, where l ultimately became king or