They appeared to feel great compassion for me when they understood that I was alone on the creek, and gave me plenty to eat.  After being four days with them, I saw that they were becoming tired of me, and they made signs that they were going up the creek, and that I had better go downwards; but I pretended not to understand them.  The same day they shifted camp, and I followed them; and on reaching their camp, I shot some crows, which pleased them so much that they made me a breakwind in the centre of their camp, and came and sat round me until such time as the crows were cooked, when they assisted me to eat them.  The same day one of the women to whom I had given part of a crow, came and gave me a ball of nardoo, saying that she would give me more only she had such a sore arm that she was unable to pound.  She showed me a sore on her arm, and the thought struck me that I would boil some water in the billy and wash her arm with a sponge.  During the operation the whole tribe sat round and were muttering one to another.  Her husband sat down by her side and she was crying all the time.  After I had washed it, I touched it with some nitrate of silver, when she began to yell and ran off, crying out, “Mokow!  Mokow!” ("Fire! fire!").  From this time, she and her husband used to give me a small quantity of nardoo both night and morning, and whenever the tribe were about going on a fishing excursion, he used to give me notice to go with them.  They also used to assist me in making a wurley, or breakwind, whenever they shifted camp.  I generally shot a crow or a hawk, and gave it to them in return for these little services.

From this time to when the relief party arrived—­a period of about a month—­they treated me with uniform kindness, and looked upon me as one of themselves.  The day on which I was released, one of the tribe who had been fishing came and told me that the white fellows were coming, and the whole of the tribe who were then in camp sallied out in every direction to meet the party, while the man who had brought the news took me over the creek, where I shortly saw the party coming down.

ACROSS THE CONTINENT.  SOUTH TO NORTH.  II

+Source.+—­Explorations in Australia (J.M.  Stuart.  Hardman, 1865). pp. 164-165, 406-411

Stuart accompanied Sturt in 1844-5, and subsequently became an enthusiastic explorer.  Three times he set out to travel from Adelaide to the Indian Ocean; the first time passing through the centre, and finally attaining his object in 1862.  The Overland Telegraph line is laid along his track.

THE CENTRE