602 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



the shoulder-blade. To reach me it must have passed over the 

 space where Love had been sleeping, till he was roused to take 

 his watch. I sat up, and was in the act of reaching for my revolver, 

 when a SECOND SPEAR pinned the canvas stretcher from which I had 

 just lifted my head. I fired a shot and called on all hands to turn 

 out. Macdonald alone responded, the watch being engaged as 

 already mentioned, and Charlie, having heard the blacks getting 

 into the creek, had taken to flight. Charlie was met by Love, 

 who naturally took him for one of our assailants, and brought him 

 to a standstill (unhurt) by two revolver shots. 



I attempted to pull out the SPEAR, which was about 8 feet in 

 length and the thickest I have ever seen, being nearly an inch in 

 diameter. Its barb (which I have preserved) was of quarter-inch 

 iron, 7 inches long ; and the thickest part of the spear, about 

 6 inches beyond the barb, was tightly fixed in my flesh. Not 

 knowing whether or not we were to have the satisfaction of seeing 

 our enemies face to face, and resolved to bear my part in their 

 reception if they should come, after hastily satisfying myself 

 that no important blood-vessel was involved in the wound, I carried 

 the sheath-knife to Macdonald, and ordered him to set me free by 

 cutting into the spear through the flesh. [There was no time 

 for calm deliberation : 



" Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious, 

 Loyal and neutral, in a moment ? No man ! "] x 



To cut the spear, which was of very hard wood, might have 

 taken a few minutes of time, and the integrity of a little bit of 

 flesh might have been very dearly purchased had the blacks reso- 

 lutely followed up their attack. After the rough surgical operation, 

 I felt rather faint for a few seconds. 



Random shots were fired across the lagoon into the scrub at 

 intervals during the night. The tents were struck at once, and I 

 lay down in the open air, while the rest, including the reclaimed 

 and repentant Charlie, kept vigilant watch. About an hour 

 after the attack, two blacks were seen crossing a bare patch of sand, 

 and attracted a volley, but probably they suffered no damage. 

 FOUR SPEARS were found IN THE TENT which had been OCCUPIED 

 BY MACDONALD AND CHARLIE. One had gone clean THROUGH a 

 BAG OF RICE, made a hole in the tin case protecting a bottle of 

 oil, and smashed the bottle. The whole collection of SPEARS was 

 broken and BURNED. 



For some time the wound was very painful. My head had to 

 be laid down for me when I went to rest, and lifted for me when 

 I wished to get up, and I had to be lifted into the saddle. The 



1 The lines in brackets, including the quotation from Macbeth, formed part of the 

 manuscript report, but I suppose on the ground that they were not couched in official 

 language, or that the Shakesperian lines fell below the Departmental standard of 

 literary merit were excised from the publication. R. L. J. 



