169 
in quest of Prince Albert’s Lyre-bird. 
was one of Nature's wildest bowers. Here Polly cast off her 
load (knowing it to be a raid-day camping ground) and com¬ 
menced kindling a lire in her own way, disdaining any help. 
Billy and Davy soon came up, and set to work picking three 
Brush-turkeys (Talegalla lathami) which they had shot on the 
way and preparing them for the spit. I employed myself in 
unpacking the horses and giving them water at the brook, 
having first to cut a road to it through the vines with my 
tomahawk. The horses having drunk stood by and looked on 
at us, there being no grass or anything they could eat. On 
turning round to see if the fire was in good order for roasting, 
I found Polly (the gin) had got a large Carpet-snake about 
nine feet long, curled up and in process of being cooked on a 
small fire she had made for herself. This snake she had killed 
on the road, and had packed it away in her “ dillybag " without 
saying a word to any one, considering it her own private property. 
She had taken several large lumps out of the inside of the reptile, 
which was full of fat, and had laid them aside for the purpose 
of beautifying her delicate person. This operation she performed 
after dinner, heating the fat on the embers, and mixing it up in 
her hands with some powdered charcoal and a little saliva. With 
this composition she polished herself all over from head to foot, 
having first divested herself of her garments. These consisted 
merely of a short kilt made of the tails of opossums and squirrels, 
which formed a neat fringe; and when the polish (which was equal 
to any of Day and Martin's best) was finished, she looked quite 
charming. But to return to the dinner: Polly went to work 
at the snake and despatched several coils of it, together with a 
lump of “ damper" and a quart of tea, which satisfied her. She 
then began at her polish, which being completed, she smoked 
her pipe and fell asleep. Billy and Davy, having put away a 
turkey each, together with damper and tea, smoked their pipes 
and went to sleep also. 
It took me much longer to prepare and despatch my dinner, 
being rather more particular in my arrangements, and having to 
go to the stream to wash my turkey after having drawn and 
picked it—an operation considered by the blacks a wilful waste 
of the savoury parts of any game. The natives never make use 
VOL. III. 
N 
