rved meat, salt and other necessaries. My
father had, in addition, his money, which he had saved from the wreck, a
compass, a sextant, a map, and a book or two. Mudge was similarly
loaded. I had my journal; and my mother insisted on carrying her own
clothing, as well as some provisions, and her Bible; while Edith was
quite unhappy till she was allowed to have a small parcel made up for
herself.

Each package was suited to the strength of the person who had to carry
it. It is a very different thing to lift a weight which may appear
perfectly light for a few minutes, and to have to carry it day after day
on one's shoulders, with the addition of a musket, a brace of pistols,
and a stout stick.

Pullingo went ahead with his spears in his hand and his boomerang stuck
in his girdle, fully conscious of his dignity. Paddy Doyle went next to
him, or marched at his side for the purpose of keeping him in good
humour, while he endeavoured to learn his language and teach him
English. Mudge marched next with Tommy Peck; my father and mother
followed, and either Harry or I accompanied Edith and Pierce, who led
the goat between them; while Burton and Popo, with the other men,
brought up the rear. When I was not with Edith, I either walked
alongside Burton or went ahead with Mudge.

After we left the neighbourhood of the river we emerged into a more open
country; that is to say, the trees grew at a sufficient distance apart
to enable us to see a long way between them. We flattered ourselves
that we were not likely to meet with any natives for some time, as we
fancied that all those in the neighbourhood had collected to feed on the
carcass of the whale, and we knew that Pullingo would not lead us
through a country inhabited by any tribes hostile to his own.

I should say that the aborigines of Australia are divided into numerous
separate tribes or families, living entirely apart from each other,
retaining their own hunting-grounds, and so seldom intermixing that in
many instances they are unacquainted with each other's language. We
were led to suppose that Pullingo's tribe was chiefly located in the
region to the south of the river, and that he had come farther north
than usual when he fell in with us; we could only thus account for the
confidence with which he marched on ahead, as if thoroughly acquainted
with the country.

We calculated that we had made fifteen miles, when we encamped for the
night on the border of a thi