knives, and
some matches, and taking a friendly leave of them, started for the
Macalister, accompanied by two of the warriors. We reached the boat on
the sixth day, found the pilot and his party well, and having dismissed
the blacks, with the present of a tomahawk and a blanket, we started at
once for the place lower down the river, which had been agreed upon
with Jack Clark as a rendezvous. When we arrived at this spot on the
following day, the horsemen had not turned up, so we amused ourselves
as best we could, fishing, shooting, and eating damper thickly
plastered over with honey, for Larry had found a "sugar bag."

The way the trooper performed this feat was not a little ingenious.
Having noticed several bees about, he caught one, and with a little
gum, attached to it a piece of down from a large owl that somebody had
shot. Releasing the insect, it flew directly towards its nest, the
unaccustomed burden with which it was laden serving not only to make it
easily visible, but also impeding its flight sufficiently to admit of
the boy following it. The next was at the top of a large blue gum
tree, about three feet in diameter, and sending up a smooth column for
fifty feet without a branch or twig. Most people would have given up
all thoughts of a honey feed for the day; not so Mr. Larry, whose
movements we followed with considerable curiosity. Divesting himself of
his clothing, he repaired to an adjoining scrub, and with his tomahawk
cut out a piece of lawyer cane twenty feet in length. Having stripped
this of its husk, he wove it into a hoop round the tree of just
sufficient size to admit his body. Slinging his tomahawk and a
fishing-line round his neck, he got inside the hoop, and allowing it to
rest against the small of his back, he pressed hard against the tree
with his knees and feet. This raised him several inches, when with a
dexterous jerk he moved the portion of the hoop furthest away from him
a good foot up the stem, and thus--somewhat on the same principle that
boys climb a chimney, for the hoop represented the chimney--he worked
himself upward, and in much less time than I have taken to describe it,
was astride on the lowest branch, and chopping vigorously at the hollow
which contained the golden store. The use of the fishing-line now
became apparent, for we bent on to its end a small tin billy (round
can), used for making tea, and by hauling this up and filling it, Larry
soon supplied us with honey