214 METHOD OF OBTAINING WATER FROM EUCALYPTUS ROOTS, 



they had no river to fall back upon, and except in the rare 

 intervals of peace, such was their dread of their more powerful 

 and fortunate neighbours that they would not venture near where 

 they knew a never failing supply of the much prized element was 

 easily obtainable, aud consequently as may be imagined by those 

 unacquainted with the resources of the country would soon become 

 the victims of that horrible fate, Death from thirst ! Such, how- 

 ever, was not the case, for Nature as if to make amends for the 

 scarcity of water above ground has in this inhospitable region 

 provided a perennial supply in the roots of several species of trees, 

 which for the most part are unknown on the country nearer the 

 rivers. On these roots — the natives in former times as a rule — 

 used to depend for their supply of water for four or five months 

 of every year (and in times of drought for the whole of the 

 year). All this, however, refers to a bygone time, the whole or 

 nearly all of this country has of late years been occupied for 

 pastoral purposes. Wells and tanks have been sunk, and per- 

 manent water by these means secured, the river blacks have been 

 almost " civilized " off the face of the earth ; the old feud has died 

 out, and the remnant of the back country natives have abandoned 

 — except when traversing a strip of unoccupied country — their 

 time honoured and somewhat laborious method of obtaining water 

 from roots. There are several kinds of trees from which water 

 was obtained, including three species of Eucalyptus, a species 

 of Hakea and Currajong. The Eucalypti consist of a gum (the 

 largest of the back country trees), a box, and mallee. The first 

 named was the most preferred, as yielding the greatest quantity, 

 and as the method was the same in all cases — this one will serve 

 for a description of the modus operandi. This tree which some- 

 what resembles the red gum in appearance — the leaves being 

 narrower and of a silvery colour — grows chiefly on sandy or light 

 loamy soil, and throws out numerous lateral roots at a depth of from 

 six to twelve inches from the surface of the ground. The native 

 having ascertained the position of one or more of these roots by 

 repeatedly jobbing the point of a spear or sharpened stick into 

 the soft earth, and at a distance of some six or eight feet from 



