things it
contained, and which were interpreted by me in such a way as would appeal
directly to the primitive minds of these people.

Oftentimes I made mistakes. For instance, what seemed to interest them
enormously was the story of how Moses struck the rock and obtained a
miraculous supply of water. Anything in the way of fresh water procured
in the desert interested them keenly. Only, unfortunately, they floored
me by asking me to accomplish a similar miracle!

Another Bible story which brought me some discomfiture was about Balaam
and his ass. Now, when I decided to tell the story of Balaam, I knew
from experience that if I mentioned an "ass," that animal would require
all kinds of tedious explanation, which would probably result in needless
mystification and consequent suspicion; so I boldly plunged into the
story of _Balaam and his_ KANGAROO! But what staggered the blacks
altogether was that Balaam's kangaroo should be able to speak. Now, it
seems that a talking animal is the greatest possible joke known to the
blacks, and so my narrative was greeted with uproarious mirth; and my
"impossible" story even spread from tribe to tribe. I found it was no
use telling the blacks anything they could not readily comprehend.

One day I told them about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire
and brimstone, and this again landed me in disaster, for I was promptly
asked how could any one, Great Spirit or other, burn up _the stones_ of
which the houses were composed? And, of course, each instance of this
kind would be pounced upon by a tribal medicine-man or some other jealous
enemy, and used to discredit me. A few days after telling the Sodom and
Gomorrah story, I was on a walk-about with Yamba in my mountain region,
when I suddenly discovered that shale existed in very considerable
quantities, and I thereupon conceived the idea of demonstrating to the
blacks that, not only was the Bible narrative a true one, but that it was
quite possible to ignite stone; _and I would even show them how it was
done_!

Aided by Yamba and other members of my family, I constructed an immense
shaft-like cairn, mainly composed of loose pieces of shale intermixed
with sandstone. I put in the sandstone and other stones, partly in order
that the blacks might not notice the uniform construction of the cairn;
and partly also because I knew that when the ordinary stones were heated,
they would probably burst or explode with a loud sound