WHITE—A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 21 



Soon after this it became only too apparent that these two 

 naturalists would have to turn back, and from all accounts 

 this they most reluctantly did, making up their minds to con- 

 tinue down the coastal belt. Records show that they saw 

 one of Leichardt's marks — a large L cut deeply into a tree. 

 The only maps available at this time were worse than useless. 

 Watercourses were shown as having their sources in ranges 

 marked on the maps, but the explorers found these markings 

 to be incorrect in many cases, as no rivers were flowing any- 

 where near the ranges indicated. To turn back for the better- 

 watered country was easy enough, but to get there was quite 

 a different matter. The few waters met with were drying up 

 behind the travellers, and they had to hasten on — a difficult 

 performance in such a rough country. One evening, after 

 many privations and hardships, the two brothers tied up their 

 horse to prevent it from straying and lay down, feeling sure 

 that their end had come, for all that day the elder brother, 

 Samuel, had searched the country around the camp for 

 water, and although there were many likely spots none was 

 found. Weary and sad he had morefallenthan laid himself 

 down, and neither brother spoke to the other. The stars came 

 out one by one, and the pall of night spread itself over the 

 land, and we can surmise that the thoughts of these two men 

 did not widely differ from tho.se of other explorers who have 

 found themselves in the same difficulties. All at once a bird 

 call sounded clear upon the night air. Samuel White raised 

 himself upon one elbow and listened intently. He recognised 

 the call instantly as that of the Satin Bower Bird 

 (Ptilonorhpnchus violaceus), and he also knew that this bird 

 would not be far from water. Again the call was heard a 

 rush of wings followed, and the bird was plainly seen passing 

 overhead. The ornithologist, by the aid of a star, marked the 

 direction in which the bird had flown, and then with parched 

 throat and swollen tongue he crawled out in the direction the 

 bird had gone. After a painful search the water was found 

 and then the tale is told of how the brothers struggled in their 

 weak state to keep their horse from drinking too much— a mis 

 take which they made themselves, and which brought on 

 ihZ m?W ^ T? I e Z ni and had then *tives come upon 

 a i?? V s weak state thev would ha ™ been easy victims 

 Although ammunition was of priceless value to them thev' 

 were forced to discharge a gun at intervals during the nights 

 on which they knew that natives were following them I do 



