124 
WYALLA 
CHAP. 
in the sun-shafts, and then falling, a vivid transparent 
green, into purple shadows of the pools below, leaving 
behind every bough and leafage bent with the weight 
of glistening drops. 
Growing from the sides of the steep cliffs were rare 
orchids, and the overhanging trees sent down showers 
of cream-coloured blossoms. They were far above 
reach and I sighed in vain for them. Gnarled roots 
and lycopodiums formed a network to the loose ground, 
and masses of crimson bottle-brush grew in the deep 
fissures of the rocks. We had tea at the Mission 
house before returning. The two missionaries were 
most kind in their welcome. We peeped into the 
natives’ houses, inspected the copy-books in the school- 
room, and interviewed the black mothers and their 
piccaninnies before leaving. The men were all away on 
the march, hunting. Under the present management 
they all seemed happy enough, and their teachers seemed 
to be thoroughly in earnest over their work ; some- 
times there are between two and three hundred natives 
there ; they come and go as the fancy takes them. A 
little black girl, who had run away from her husband at 
Mr. H.’s a few days ago, was there, and returned with 
us ; her little mate, on hearing she had left, unmindful 
of the alligators, swam the river and came after us, but 
her husband caught her and took her back again ; she 
did not look more than thirteen, while he was a 
wretched, blear-eyed old creature of about fifty. 
They constantly run away from their husbands, who 
are always chosen for them from another tribe ; but, as 
the men seem to have an unlimited supply of wives, 
it is only occasionally that they trouble themselves to 
go after them. I have grown to think the black girls 
pretty, and their mirth is infectious. 
The familiar scent of gum-trees (just off the river-bank) 
