time when life became so monotonous that I felt I
_must_ have a change of some sort, or else go mad. I was on the very
best of terms with all my blacks, but their mode of living was repulsive
to me. I began to loathe the food, and the horrible cruelty to the women
frequently sickened me. Whenever I saw one of these poor patient
creatures felled, bleeding, to the earth, I felt myself being worked up
into a state of dangerous nervous excitement, and I longed to challenge
the brutal assailant as a murderous enemy. Each time, however, I sternly
compelled myself to restrain my feelings. At length the spirit of unrest
grew so strong that I determined to try a short trip inland in a
direction I had never hitherto attempted. I intended to cross the big
bay in my dug-out, round Cape Londonderry, and then go south among the
beautiful islands down past Admiralty Gulf, which I had previously
explored during my residence on the Cape, and where I had found food and
water abundant; numerous caves, with mural paintings; quiet seas, and
gorgeous vegetation. Yamba willingly consented to accompany me, and one
day I set off on the sea once more, my faithful wife by my side, carrying
her net full of odds and ends, and I with my bow and arrows, tomahawk,
and stiletto; the two latter carried in my belt. I hoped to come across
a ship down among the islands, for my natives told me that several had
passed while I was away.

At length we started off in our dug-out, the sea being perfectly
calm--more particularly in the early morning, when the tide was generally
with us. After several days' paddling we got into a narrow passage
between a long elevated island and the main, and from there found our way
into an inlet, at the head of which appeared masses of wild and rugged
rocks. These rocks were, in many places, decorated with a number of
crude but striking mural paintings, which were protected from the
weather. The drawings I found represented men chiefly. My own
contributions consisted of life-size sketches of my wife, myself, and
Bruno. I emphasised my long hair, and also reproduced my bow and arrow.
This queer "art gallery" was well lighted, and the rock smooth. We found
the spot a very suitable one for camping; in fact, there were indications
on all sides that the place was frequently used by the natives as a
camping-ground. A considerable quantity of bark lay strewn about the
ground in sheets, which material my wife told me was