134 Lees, What is Nardoo? [voKXXxi. 



By itself, this Nardoo is indigestible and innutritious, and it 

 is no wonder the diet is thus feeUngly referred to by Wills in his 

 journal — '' I cannot understand this Nardoo at all. It certainly 

 will not agree with me in any form ; we are now reduced to it 

 alone ; and we manage to get from 4 lbs. to 5 lbs. a day between 

 us. It seems to give no nutriment . . . Starvation on 

 Nardoo is by no means very unpleasant, but for the weakness 

 one feels, and the utter inability to move oneself ; for, as far 

 as appetite is concerned, it gives me the greatest satisfaction." 

 As Mr. Welch graphically sums it up — " Nardoo alone meant a 

 lingering tight with death." 



But Marsilea hirsuta is not the only plant that furnishes true 

 Nardoo. Various grass seeds, Portulaca seed, Sesbania aculeata 

 (a leguminous plant with nutritious seeds), all are used. And, 

 in regard to the latter, as long ago as 1880, Mr. F. M. Bailey, in 

 "Proceedings Linnean Society N.S.W.," speaks thus: — "In 

 North Queensland, according to Mr. T. A. Gulliver, the natives 

 make bread of the seeds of the Sesbania aculeata. I am of 

 opinion that this is the true Nardoo of the Cooper's Creek 

 natives. The unfortunate explorers (Burke and Wills) might 

 easily have mistaken the spore cases of a Marsilea for the 

 shelled-out seeds of Sesbania." 



Here, however, Mr. Bailey is mistaken. I know of no Sesbania 

 where King was stranded, and most certainly the true Nardoo 

 of Cooper's Creek is not confined to this plant. Marsilea, 

 l)ortulaca, and grass seeds all supply Nardoo. Further north 

 edible leguminous seeds are obtained and utilized. 



When engaged upon the trigonometrical survey of Central 

 Australia my main depot was established for twelve months at 

 Algebuckina water-hole, north of the Peake overland telegraph 

 station. Upon one occasion I was returning, at the end of 

 December, from a western exploration trip in the neighbourhood 

 of Giles's "ever-flowing Ferdinand." Owing to dry stages and 

 camel break-downs the work occupied longer than was antici- 

 pated, and we faced the return journey of six days with barely 

 sufficient stores to last two days. 



On the second day we struck water, and, notwithstanding the 

 commissariat shortage, we had to spell the camels for a day. 

 During this time our camp black (a Macumba River native) 

 collected a supply of leguminous seeds, from which we made 

 Nardoo. If not appetizing, it assuaged hunger, enabling us to 

 fetch camp without distress, and it is certainly more digestible 

 and sustaining than Marsilea Nardoo. 



Later on I was camped for twelve months near the Charlotte 

 Waters Overland Telegraph Station. The late Mr. Frank Gillen 

 was then in charge. In the course of survey we pushed into 

 new country, and on one such exi)edition I was accompanied 



