ing
any number higher than five, we could not form the slightest idea how
long the white man had lived among them; but they pointed to the ranges
behind the township of Cardwell as indicating the place where he first
joined them.

We camped at the opposite end of the water-hole, not thinking it
judicious to remain too close to our allies, and kept a strict watch
during the night; but we might all have enjoyed a good sleep in perfect
safety, for the blacks were far too busy stuffing themselves with emu
meat to think of treachery. Before sunrise we started, guided by our
late captive and two of his companions. After a tedious walk, we
arrived at an open plain, on which the grass was trodden down in every
direction, in some places worn quite away by the feet of the
natives--for this was the great "bora ground" of the coast tribes,
where the mystic ceremonies mentioned in a former chapter took place.
Traversing the sacred plain, our thoughts busy in conjecturing the
weird scenes that the posts had witnessed, we came to a little creek
whose clear stream babbled cheerfully among the rocks, and soon saw a
giant fig-tree, which our guides indicated as being the spot we sought.
As we approached we perceived a greyish-looking form on a large limb
about ten feet from the ground, and a closer inspection revealed to us
that it was unmistakably the body of a white man, rolled up in tea-tree
bark, and kept in its position by fastenings of split cane. We could
not examine the corpse very minutely, for it was too offensive; but
from the portions of the face that still remained, and the long blonde
locks and red beard, we satisfied ourselves that the poor wanderer was
not one of the 'Eva's' crew; indeed, we judged that his death must have
taken place some time before the loss of that vessel. We were much
pleased to observe the respect with which the natives had treated the
remains, and as they think that exposure either on a platform or in a
tree is the most honourable way in which a corpse can be disposed of,
we left the body as we found it, and returned to the camp, where we
passed the night.

Our damper was now at an end, and we had no flour with us, so made up
our minds to return to the boat. On talking the matter over, it seemed
quite clear that the shipwrecked men had never been thrown on this part
of the coast, and that any further exploration would only be lost time.
On the following morning we presented the tribe with our