FRIENDLY ABORIGINES 253 



To my surprise I found that several of these blacks 

 could speak a few words of English, though I could not 

 ascertain where their linguistic ability had been acquired. 

 They could ask readily enough for " 'bacca " and " matchum," 

 and though 1 had but a pinch of the precious weed remain- 

 ing, I gave it to them, and also my pipe. This pipe was 

 rather an ornamental one, being embellished with the 

 figure head of a remarkable species of goat, and the fellow 

 who received it fully appreciated the gift, as the expression 

 of his happy face plainly enough told. His envious mates 

 crowded round him, and passed many, to me unknown, 

 remarks of admiration of that wonderful head, while the 

 almost naked women and children, squatting on the 

 ground a few yards off, looked on, their mouths wide 

 open in wonder. 



I explained as well as I could that I had no more 

 tobacco, or I should have been willing to give it to them, 

 and they cheerfully offered me some food, of which they 

 had an abundance with them, some of the women being 

 loaded like pack-animals with it. But I would take 

 nothing from them but a few warren-roots, which I was 

 glad to have, as I was becoming tired of eating flesh so 

 frequently. Considering the value of the friendship of 

 these people, I was sorry that I had so little to give them in 

 return for their kindness. I parted with everything that 

 I could spare, which was little enough, as I had come to 

 the end of all my stores, and had but a couple of dozen 

 cartridges to last until I rejoined my companions, distant 

 now, I hoped, not more than two or three days' ride. 



From the expression " see before," repeatedly used by 

 one of these men, I concluded that these blacks had seen 

 me on my outward journey, and were perhaps one of 

 those tribes I had avoided, fearing their hostility. I 

 should explain that I was not sufficiently master of the 

 native language of this part of the country to understand 

 it without the aid of an interpreter. They now accompanied 

 me some miles, I going, of course, at a walking pace to 

 avoid seeming to wish to get away from them. At length 

 their spokesman exclaimed, " Stop now. No further go," 



