Year: 1876

1N EAtAAs


1t has often struck me as being strange,
that although the magazines and periodi-
Gals abound with accounts of hair
breadth escapes, no one seems to have
attempted to portray the exact thoughts
that pass through the mind of man
placed unexpectedly in situation of ex-
treme danger.


People are so differently constituted
that their actions, when under the in
fuence of great fear, would widely differ,
and the course which would seem the
most prudent on calm reflection to extri-
cate ones self from the difficulty, is
usually-or at least in most cases
neglected, and some other means adopted,
which, to people reading such an account,
and placing themselves in imagination
in the same situation, would appear most
foolish and impracticable. Having been
several times in my life in positions OF
great danger, when direct and immediate
action was the only chance of escape, l
propose to narrate one of them, and en-
deavor to analyze the workings Of the
mind during the few moments when re-
lease from violent death seemed almost
hopeless.


Some few years ago, whilst in Australia,
was trying my luck at gold-diRging,
and having occasion to 60 to neighbor-
ing cattle station for some information /
required, l saddled my horse and started,
leaving my only companion to look after
cur traps. The station which wished to
make was on an island, separated from
the mainland by passage called the
Narrows," which at high water was
sufficiently deep to allow the largest
steamer on that coast to pass through it,
though not often made use of by them,
on account of the intricacies of the chan.
mel. At low water it was fordable, the
water lust covering a. .horseman's saddle,
and at that period it was easy enough to
cross, as the actual stream was then not
more than ninety yards in width, though
at high water it would be about quarter
of mile.


The times of slack water-that is ex-
treme high and low tide--were very short,
hardly ten minutes after which the tide
commenced to run like mill-race, in
fact, so strongly that a short time after
low water have been unable, in a
whale-boat, with four good oarsmen, to
make the slightest way against it. The
landing-place on the island was small
patch of shingly beach about thirty yards
in length, on each side of which was deer
black ooze, with mangoes growing, rem
dering landing impossible should you
unfortunately miss the proper place, the
black mud being SO deep and tenacious
that any horse trying to get out would
be begged and infallibly drowned, if moi
torn to pieces by the sharks with which
the passage literally swarmed, and. of the
worst kind, the stealthy, treacherous
ground.shark whose presence is first
made known by feeling him. Not being
able to find out from any one the time o.
low water, and having. twenty miles t6
ride b fore reaching the =" Narrows,"
made a daylight start, calculating that
should arrive there about noon, and
trusting to Providence that it wOGld bt
low water some time between ther
and dusk. 1 logged along at the amb
ling pace that journeys are made IL
Australia, and arrived, exactly as hac
intended, at noon.


Nv first look was at the channel ,wheI
was disgusted to find that low waite
must have been about eleven, and that
the tide was rapidly flowing. The next
low water would not be until severa
hours after dark, and hardly knew wha
to do, for had brought no blankets, in
tending to sleep at the station, and was
also unarmed, and the blacks were nu
merous and hostile; so l did what l have
always found to be the best thing wher
in any difficulty in the bush, dismOunted
unsaddled and hobbled my horse, lit fir'
and put pot of tea on, and sat down or
a log and smoked a pipe whilst thought
out the situation.


Wait until night to cross couldn't, fol
it would be madness attempting it in the
dark ride back again wouldn't for my
time was precious, and l hardly knew
what to do, when / became conscious o
what had been too pre- occupied to no
tice before, the buzz of thousands o.
mosquitoes, and these amiable insects IN
clouds all round, evidently enjoying
themselves most amazingly on my bare
arms and neck.


To stop amongst these pests was i'm
possible, so l made up my mind on the
spur of the moment to chance every
thing, sharks and all, and swim the
" Narrows."


OF course, having once determined OF
this course, the sooner it was carried
out the better, for the tide was flowing
fast, and the channel deepening each mo
ment, so l soon swallowed my tea, caugh
and saddled my horse, and started dowI
the incline leading to the water:


must here mention that it is Away
the custom in Australia to use saddle
cloth, piece of felt-like substance mad'
purposely, or in many cases piece 0
blanket doubled. This extends from th'
horses wither TO a little behind the can
tie of the saddle, and slightly below th'
flaps on each side.


1t is absolutely necessary, in such
country, where the horses are innocent o
brush or currycomb, to save them from
getting sore backs.


On the pommel of my saddle / had m.
valise strapped, and l was dressed in
shirt, breeches, boots and spurs. Th
only precaution / observed was to tax
nv watch from my belt and wind 1t il
and out of the ribbon round my hat, an
secure the hat, a felt one, firmly by tyin
my handkerchief over 1t and under m
chin, a measure which certainly save
the watch, though / regret to say it ha
never gone since.


On reaching the foot of the incline / ha
to push upstream about quarter of


mile, the water being kneedeep, to allo'
for the distance should be swept dow
after my horse lost his legs. When ia
enough, as calculated, / headed for tn
other shore, and In few minutes was i
the stream.