ABORIGINES’ WATER-QUEST. 
651 
about eight feet of root was exposed, lifting the soil as it was raised. 
About two-feet length was broken off and up-ended into the mouth, and 
a cold drink the result. But not sufficient ; another and another 
length was broken off till we had sufficient. We did not take anv 
more than the one root, and I think there were eight or ten more such 
roots— enough in abundance for a dozen men. . . . The water so 
obtained is cool — quite cool — colourless, and refreshing; but I have 
noticed that upon exposure to the air for a few hours it becomes a 
pale-brown colour, such as would be noticed in water into which a 
piece of bark had dropped.” 
Blood wood ( Eucalyptus terminal is), of Central Australia. — The 
bloodwood is also a water-tree, several explorers referring to it in 
this connection. 
Mr. W. H. Tietkens says of it : — “ I have myself obtained nearly 
a bucket of water from the bloodwood-tree at the Rawlinson Range. 
I was cutting this tree down for smoke-house purposes, and the water 
was not required.” 
Acacia. — Several varieties of Acacia are referred to by explorers 
and bushmen as water-trees, the roots yielding a fair supply. 
Trees as “Signs” of Water in Vicinity. — The beef wood. Western 
Australia (native name “Yarra”), L. A. Wells, Elder Exploring 
Expedition, p. 163 ; the black wattle, D. Lindsay, E.R.G.S., leader 
Elder Exploring Expedition, p. 29; gum-trees (large size), D. 
Lindsay, E.R.G.S., leader Elder Exploring Expedition, p. 39. 
PLANTS. 
The Pig f ace f J. McD. Stuart (page 3) says, “contains a great 
deal of moisture, and is a first-rate thing for thirsty horses.” Mr. W. P. 
Auld says the members of the expedition named it “squash,” and! 
states that it is a splendid thing to cure “scurvy.” 
Parakylia (a variety of ice-plant).— Abundant in many parts of 
and Australia. It is a good source of supply for camels. Mr. I). 
Lindsay (Elder Exploring Expedition, p. 101) says:— “A moist plant, 
as good as water.” The South Australian Register of 4th December^ 
1894, reports that an Afghan, who had been most dreadfully injured 
by his camels thirty miles west of Arina Creek Telegraph Station, had 
subsisted through several days of agony and terrific heat upon some 
Parakylia, to which he had managed to drag himself, and was saved 
from death through the supply of water yielded by that plant. 
STEMS OF TREES AND WATER STORAGE. 
The stems of several varieties of trees, when not too old, yield 
good and sufficient supplies of water for life-saving. Young 
gums, stringy-barks, and varieties of mallee are all soused by the 
aborigines. 
The young tree is broken or cut off, the top removed, then the 
root end is set uppermost. In from ten to twenty minutes from 
several such stems a quantity of water sufficient for life preservation 
may be obtained in coolamin, billy-can, or other vessel. The state- 
ment holds good with qualification as to locality, but a bushman might 
always make the experiment of in this way trying for water before 
giving up hope and abandoning himself to despair. 
The water obtained is clear, cool, palatable, and refreshing. 
