48 THE RIVER DARLING 



against Jacky, and died with the pencil between his 

 fingers. 



" Then I go way little bit, and cry long time," said 

 Jacky. " When I feel better, I go back and dig grave with 

 axe, and bury Mr Kennedy, and put my shirt and trousers 

 on him. When it come dark, I go way and leave him. 

 The blackfellow follow me and throw spear, and I go into 

 ribber and walk with only head above water and so 

 escape." And after two days Jacky-Jacky reached the 

 coast, and hailed the schooner which was waiting for the 

 members of Kennedy's party. A boat was sent ashore 

 to take him off, and found him to be in a greatly 

 exhausted and shaken condition, believing the hostile 

 blacks to be still close on his track ; but he had been 

 faithful to his trust, and had brought Kennedy's papers 

 safely to the terrible journey's end. 



The man who cannot respect and love this poor 

 courageous blackfellow must be seared of heart and 

 brain. 



Several times during my rambles on the Darling I met 

 with the aborigines. They were quiet enough, but pro- 

 bably not to be trusted. Of course I always had several 

 companions with me, and we were all armed, which kept 

 the savages in awe. They attempted some trifling 

 thefts, but no violence, and considering the abject con- 

 ditions in which they live, one cannot be surprised that 

 they covet the white man's treasures, and endeavour to 

 possess themselves by craft of that which they have not 

 the means to purchase. 



The aborigines are not numerous on the Darling or the 

 adjacent plains ; but further north, in Queensland, and 

 especially on York Peninsula, there are considerable 

 numbers of them ; and in these latter districts they are 

 sometimes very aggressive. Indeed they are only to be 

 trusted after long intercourse with the whites, and not 

 always then. 



The corroborees alluded to above are often described 

 as dances. They are really dramatic performances, given 

 mostly in dumb-show, and nearly always represent such 



