100 NATIVE FISHERIES. [CH. IV. 



lay by his solitary fire, he formed a striking foreground to the 

 desert landscape. In his novitiate he was most willing to do 

 any thing his fellows required, and I felt often disposed to 

 interfere, when I overheard such words as " Doctor ! go for a 

 kettle of water, while I light a fire,'' &c. Worthington, in 

 particular, I overheard, telling him he had been "a swell at 

 home ;" but a few days afterwards, the " Doctor" came to me, 

 stating that an immediate operation was necessary to save the 

 life of Worthington, and demanding the dissecting instru- 

 ments. On inquiry, I found that this man, alias " Five 

 o'clock," had a slight swelling in the groin, for which the 

 Doctor's intended remedy, as far as I could make out, was an 

 incision in the lower part of the abdomen. I gravely assured 

 " Five o'clock" that if " the Doctor" thought such an opera- 

 tion necessary, it must take i)lace, although I should defer 

 lending him the instruments for a day or two. Thus, I suc- 

 ceeded in establishing the importance of " the Doctor's" 

 position, and we heard no more of his having been " a swell" 

 — or of " the swelling" of Worthington, who, on that pre- 

 text, seemed inclined to escape work. 



Jan. 30. — The cart returned with some fine timber, which 

 was soon placed on the saw-pit ; meanwhile a stock-yard for 

 the cattle, was erected on the higher ground. 



No fish could be caught this day, and we supposed that 

 the natives were busy taking them, above and ))elow our camp, 

 for, in theirmodeof fishing, few can escape. We had pre- 

 viously seen the osier nettings, erected by them across the 

 various currents, and especially in tlie Gwydir, where some 

 had been noticed of very neat workmanship. The frame of 

 each trellis was as well squared as if it had been the work 

 of a carpenter, and the twigs were inserted, at regular inter- 

 vals, so as to form, by crossing each other, a strong and efiS- 

 cient kind of net or snare. Where these were erected, a 

 small opening was left towards the middle of the current, 

 probal)ly, that some bag or netting might be apjtlicd tliere to 

 receive the fish, while the natives in the river above should 



