s.

"One night we managed to slip out of the camp without attracting the
notice of the women, and at once rushed down to the beach, intending to
throw ourselves into the water, and so end a life which was far worse
than death. We were, unfortunately, missed, and just as we were getting
beyond our depth a party of furious blacks rushed down to the shore,
waded out into the water and brought as out.

"After this incident our liberty was curtailed altogether, and we were
moved away. The women were plainly told--so we gathered--that if
anything happened to us, death, and nothing less, would be their portion.
Now that we could no longer leave the little break-wind that sheltered
us, we spent the whole of our time in prayer--mainly for death to release
us from our agonies. I was surprised to see that the women themselves,
though nude, were not much affected by the intense cold that prevailed at
times, but we afterwards learnt that they anointed their naked bodies
with a kind of greasy clay, which formed a complete coating all over
their bodies. During the ensuing three months the tribe constantly moved
their camp, and we were always taken about by our owner and treated with
the most shocking brutality. The native food, which consisted of roots,
kangaroo flesh, snakes, caterpillars, and the like, was utterly loathsome
to us, and for several days we absolutely refused to touch it, in the
hope that we might die of starvation.

"Finally, however, the blacks compelled us to swallow some mysterious-
looking meat, under threats of torture from those dreadful fire-sticks.
You will not be surprised to learn that, though life became an
intolerable burden to us, yet, for the most part, we obeyed our captors
submissively. At the same time, I ought to tell you that now and again
we disobeyed deliberately, and did our best to lash the savages into a
fury, hoping that they would spear us or kill us with their clubs. Our
sole shelter was a break-wind of boughs with a fire in front. The days
passed agonisingly by; and when I tell you that every hour--nay, every
moment--was a crushing torture, you will understand what that phrase
means. We grew weaker and weaker, and, I believe, more emaciated. We
became delirious and hysterical, and more and more insensible to the cold
and hunger. No doubt death would soon have come to our relief had you
not arrived in time to save us."

* * * * *

This, then, was the fearful story which the u