THROUGH THE BIG SWAMPS 109 



which helped to pass the time. He said that the 

 aborigines of old time were expert with the spear and 

 boomerang. Black Swans were often killed on the 

 wing. Thousands of birds were slaughtered, and 

 vast quantities of their eggs taken for food. But the 

 Swans have won the long fight ; they flourish on river, 

 lake and lagoon, while the natives have become as a 

 tale that is told. 



We reached the Little Murray early in the fore- 

 noon, to find bridge builders at work there. Pile- 

 driving in the sun, when, in the shade, a thermometer 

 registered 99 degrees, was not enviable labour, and 

 one of the men, to whom I spoke, expressed free 

 opinions of the weather, using forcible adjectives after 

 the manner of many Bush workers. We were ferried 

 across the river, vehicle, pony and all, and began the 

 long drive to the big Murray. Pental Island did not 

 leave a favourable impression. Far as the eye could 

 range lay arid, wind-swept land, relieved only by some 

 straggling bushes. We hoped to meet with Native 

 Companions [Antigone australasiana] , which nest in 

 this desert region, but were disappointed. Clouds of 

 fine, red dust, whipped up by the wind, powdered us 

 from head to foot, and at times made breathing dif- 

 ficult. When we emerged from the dust zone, condi- 

 tions improved, and an hour later we were among tall 

 trees on the bank of the Murray. 



A bearded, sun-burned man came from his river- 

 side hut to greet us. He seemed glad to have com- 

 pany for awhile. After a chat, he rowed me across 

 the river in one of his two boats, and I stepped ashore 

 in New South Wales. Meanwhile, Macgregor, on the 

 Victorian bank, prepared his flattie, which had not 

 been used for some time, and was half-full of water. 

 It seemed a frail craft to launch on the Murray, whose 

 waters came swirling round a bend; but Rob 

 weathered the current and hugged the bank for half 

 a mile, landing at a point where I was waiting to 



