in quest of Princf Albert's Lyre-bird. 169 



was one of Nature's wildest bowers. Here Polly cast off her 

 load (knowing it to be a mid-day camping ground) and com- 

 menced kindling a tire in her own way, disdaining any help. 

 Billy and Davy soon came up, and set to work picking three 

 Brush-turkeys {Talcgalla lathami) which they had shot on the 

 way and preparing them for the spit. I employed myself in 

 unpacking the horses and giving them water at the brook, 

 having first to cut a road to it through the vines with my 

 tomahawk. The horses having drunk stood by and looked on 

 at us, there being no grass or anything they could eat. On 

 turning round to see if the fire was in good order for roasting, 

 I found Polly (the gin) had got a large Carpet-snake about 

 nine feet long, curled up and in process of being cooked on a 

 small fire she had made for herself. This snake she had killed 

 on the road, and had packed it away in her " dillybag " without 

 saying a word to any one, considering it her own private property. 

 She had taken several large lumps out of the inside of the reptile, 

 which was full of fat, and had laid them aside for the purpose 

 of beautifying her delicate person. This operation she performed 

 after dinner, heating the fat on the embers, and mixing it up in 

 her hands with some powdered charcoal and a little saliva. With 

 this composition she polished herself all over from head to foot, 

 having first divested herself of her garments. These consisted 

 merely of a short kilt made of the tails of opossums and squirrels, 

 which formed a neat fringe ; and when the polish (which was equal 

 to any of Day and Martin's best) was finished, she looked quite 

 charming. But to return to the dinner : Polly went to work 

 at the snake and despatched several coils of it, together with a 

 lump of " damper " and a quart of tea, which satisfied her. She 

 then began at her polish, which being completed, she smoked 

 her pipe and fell asleep. Billy and Davy, having put away a 

 turkey each, together with damper and tea, smoked their pipes 

 and went to sleep also. 



It took me much longer to prepare and despatch my dinner, 

 being rather more particular in my arrangements, and having to 

 go to the stream to wash my turkey after having drawn and 

 picked it — an operation considered by the blacks a wilful waste 

 of the savoury parts of any game. The natives never make use 



VOL. III. N 



