s. He would moan and cry pitifully,
and run aimlessly up and down the beach looking out to sea. Ah! had I
only taken Bruno on that fatal day, he would not have let my dear ones
drown!

As I have said, I remained only a few weeks in my bay home, and then
departed. The blacks, too, left the spot, for they never stay where the
shadow of death lies, fearing the unpleasant attentions of the spirits of
the deceased. The parting between me and my people was a most affecting
one, the women fairly howling in lamentations, which could be heard a
great distance away. They had shown such genuine sympathy with me in my
misfortune that our friendship had very materially increased; but in
spite of this good feeling, I knew I could never be happy among them
again.

So we started off into the unknown, with no more provision or equipment
than if we were going for a stroll of a mile or so. Yamba carried her
yam-stick and basket, and I had my usual weapons--tomahawk and stiletto
in my belt, and bow and arrows in my hand. I never dreamed when we
started that to strike due south would take us into the unexplored heart
of the continent. Day after day, however, we walked steadily on our
course, steering in a very curious manner. We were guided by the ant-
hills, which are always built facing the east, whilst the top inclines
towards the north; and we knew that the scratches made on trees by the
opossums were invariably on the north side.

We often steered by the habits of insects, wasps' nests, and other
curious auguries, fixing our position at night by the stars and in the
daytime by our own shadows. Yamba always went in front and I followed.
The bush teemed with fruits and roots. After leaving our own camp in the
Cambridge Gulf region we struck a fine elevated land, excellently well
watered; and later on we followed the Victoria River in a south-easterly
direction through part of the Northern Territories of South Australia. We
at length struck a peculiar country covered with coarse grass ten feet or
twelve feet high--not unlike the sugar-cane which I afterwards saw, but
much more dense.

It was, of course, impossible for us to pursue our course due south,
owing to the forests and ranges which we encountered; we had, as a matter
of fact, to follow native and kangaroo tracks wherever they took us--east,
west, and even north occasionally, generally to water-holes. The
progress of the natives is simply from one water supply to a