Walter Goodfellow—A Collector on Melville Island 23


morning it was already much stronger and its wings tight to the body.

Although I kept my eye on it, it showed no inclination to stray, but

at midday I was obliged to leave it for a time to attend to other

things in my late neighbour’s deserted camp, and on returning found

it had disappeared. Although it was a risk to leave the camp alone,

never knowing if any blacks might turn up who would quickly have

stolen everything, I went off and searched the bush for nearly a mile

in radius, without finding a trace of the bird. The bush was not

dense here, so it was possible to see a long way. Later in the afternoon

I went all over the ground again, still without any result. I then

thought it best to wait until sunset, when the Cranes passed over,

hoping the youngster might call out and betray its whereabouts.

When the Cranes came I heard no response, and had to give it up.

The next morning as soon as I had time, I was out again, although

I feared it could not have survived the night, as dingos had been

around the camp, still in vain. Later that afternoon, twenty-six

hours after it had disappeared, I was lying on my bed, and, on turning

round, I found the truant standing close by, with its head hanging

down, and looking very dejected, and apologetic. There is no need

to say that the first thing I did was to give it a good feed. I felt there

was no need to take further precautions, as I was sure now it would

not go off permanently again, and it never did, except when any

blacks came into camp it cleared off as fast as its legs could

carry it. Up to the last it had the greatest fear of the blacks, and

seemed to sense their presence before I could see them. Daily it grew

more domesticated, and began to take a great interest in one’s doings

about the camp, when I began to understand why they were called

“ Native Companions


As I have already said, I was once ten days without seeing another

human being, and during that time I often wondered what many men

placed like myself would have felt without any livestock to keep

them company. Truly these creatures can be a great comfort to one.

The result was I never felt really lonely, as my livestock kept me far

too busy to have much time to think about anything else.


I have never kept a young Crane before, and now I have quite lost

my heart to them. Their every attitude is grace itself, and were I a



