114 IN AUSTRALIAN WILDS 



if there were any, lay low. When flood waters from 

 the Murray inundate the country for miles around, 

 knolls and small areas of raised land form islets, on 

 which snakes, rabbits and other animals take refuge. 

 Trappers sometimes gather hundreds of rabbits from 

 "flood islands." Before camping in such places it is 

 wise to make tours of inspection, and evict or kill any 

 venomous snakes discovered, lest, at night, they seek 

 a share of one's blanket. 



The afternoon was devoted to a general cruise. 

 We poled the flattie along winding channels among 

 the trees, over shallow places sunlit glades in dry 

 seasons and through haunts of Coot and Heron. The 

 spirit of the swamp must be a "dark lady," with finger 

 ever at her lips, for the stillness was wonderful: 

 "tingling silentness," broken rarely by the wandering 

 cry of a bird. Wherever the sun's rays penetrated 

 water lilies grew thickly, forming a carpet of gold. 

 My guide was familiar with the swamp, and he could 

 always give the bearings; whereas I lost all sense of 

 direction after an hour's voyaging through the chan- 

 nels, which twisted and turned like paths in a maze. 

 We dragged the boat over an acre of dry land to gain 

 an arm of the swamp that seemed promising; but 

 it was labour in vain, the water was too shallow for 

 even a flat-bottomed craft. 



The sun was now low in the west, and it was 

 time to begin the return voyage. Again our boat 

 threaded those tortuous channels, cutting across purple 

 shadows, bumping into snags and flinging aside the 

 water lilies in flakes of golden foam. Darkness was 

 brooding over it when we emerged on to the "lake." 

 The passage towards the river was swift and silent 

 till the shadows were reached, when two pairs of arms 

 were needed to get the boat through the weeds. Then 

 came the laborious portage to the river bank, followed 

 by ten minutes' paddling, and once more we stood on 

 Victorian soil. 



