MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

The gins also gather the large freshwater mussel which abounds in the mud of these holes, lifting the shell out of the mud with their toes.  There is a small cichoraceous plant with a yellow flower named tao by the natives, which grows in the grassy places near the river, and on its root the children chiefly subsist.  As soon almost as they can walk a little wooden shovel is put into their hands, and they learn thus early to pick about the ground for those roots and a few others, or to dig out the larvae of ant-hills.  The gins never carry a child in arms as our females do, but always in a skin on the back.  The infant is seized by an arm and thrown with little care over the shoulders, when it soon finds its way to its warm berth, holding by the back of the mother’s head while it slides down into it.  These women usually carry besides their children, thus mounted, bags containing all the things which they and the men possess, consisting of nets for the hair or for catching ducks; whetstones; yellow, white, and red ochre; pins for dressing and drying opossum skins, or for net-making; small boomerangs and shovels for the children’s amusement; and often many other things apparently of little use to them.

PREPARE TO QUIT THE PARTY.

On this creek the grass was excellent and today, for the first time, we saw cattle from the colony.  As our own required rest and I wished to examine the state of the equipment, arms, ammunition, and stores previous to my leaving the party, as I now intended soon to do, I determined on halting here for three days previous to ascending Hervey’s range.  I also wished to amend that part of our traced line by returning in advance of the party and marking out a better direction for the ascent of the carts; and to find out also, if possible, some water which should be at a convenient distance for a day’s journey from the present camp.

When on first advancing I overlooked this lower country the sun had nearly set, and I was anxious the expedition should reach the valley and find water before darkness set in; the descent from these heights was thus made without selection and at a point which happened to be rather too abrupt.  To ascend it was a still more difficult labour now that our cattle were much weaker and would be also exhausted by the fatigue of a long journey.

September 12.

I was occupied nearly the whole of this day in examining the ration accounts and taking an inventory of the equipment, stores, etc.  We had made five months’ rations serve the party nearly six months by a slight alteration of the weights; this having been thought the best expedient for making our provisions last till the end of the journey, availing myself of the experience of my former travels in the interior when I found that the idea of reduced rations was disheartening to men when undergoing fatigue.  The sheep which we took with us as livestock had answered the purpose remarkably well, having, as already stated, rather mended than otherwise during the journey.  Their fatness however varied according to the nature of the countries passed through.  They became soon very tame, and the last remaining sheep followed the man in charge of it, and bleated after HIM when all his woolly companions had disappeared.