DOWN THE RtVEn. 101 



every side, which brought the scene moat forcibly before me. Then des- 

 crying the blacks on the opposite shore, he tried to induce them to return, 

 by waving his hands, and holding out a iinife for their acceptance. Alas! 

 poor wanderer, his journey was nearly ended, he was soon to reach that 

 haven "where the weary are at rest." He sat upon a log and watched 

 the blacks until nightfall, and then laid himself down to sleep. Just 

 before dawn of day, the blacks, as is always their custom, attacked him, 

 one of them threw a spear, which passed through his leg; he stood upright, 

 but made no attempt at escape or defence, and burying his face in his 

 hands awaited his fate. The savages then rushed in upon him, and put 

 him to death with their clubs. 



Ramrod concluded by informing me that his late respected father appro- 

 priated one of the white man's hands, which ghastly trophy he carried about 

 with him for many days. 



"But Ramrod," I ask, "tell me the truth ; did your tribe eat that poor 

 fellow?" Ramrod hangs down his head, and looks rather ashamed, but 

 only mutters "pah!" and lights his pipe by way of changing the conversa- 

 tion; he is evidently not pleased with my question, and coils himself up 

 for sleep, so I betake myself to the tent, and follow his example. 



We rise early the next morning, and find that the Fish-Eagle and Crows 

 have been beforehand with us, and have stolen the best of our fish which 

 we left during the night on the sand. The history of the Australian 

 Crow is rather an interesting one. They are extremely numerous in every 

 part of Australia, but always prefer to be near the abode of man. Of 

 course, like all the Corvidce, they are arrant thieves; they will pick font 

 the eyes of the young lambs and pigs: a fat duckling is a much desired 

 prize. I have watched one of them walking sideways round a hen with 

 a clutch of young ducks, which, aware of the intention of their enemy, 

 have huddled round their foster-parent, who with drooping wings and fierce 

 duckings, presents a bold front to Mr. Corax; but unless driven away, he 

 is almost always successful. He inserts his beak under the little duck, 

 and turns it on its back; in which helpless state he seizes it in his bill, 

 and makes off with it to some decayed stump, where, with a croak of triumph, 

 he devours it at his leisure. The Crow will also take the eggs and callow 

 young of the domestic pigeon from the dove-cote. On one occasion, having 

 suffered much in this way from the attacks of a particular Crow, I put 

 two pieces of meat, each containing a small dose of strychnine, on the 

 top of an old out- house; my friend devoured both pieces in a moment, 

 and then flew away to a neighbouring tree, when he was joined by his 

 spouse; and I was much amused when I saw him, as a delicate mark of 

 connubial attention, disgorge one portion into her beak: in less than five 

 minutes both dropped dead at the foot of the tree. But they are useful 



