第71章

I never dreamed when we started that to strike due south would take us into the unexplored heart of the continent.Day after day, however, we walked steadily on our course, steering in a very curious manner.We were guided by the ant-hills, which are always built facing the east, whilst the top inclines towards the north;and we knew that the scratches made on trees by the opossums were invariably on the north side.

We often steered by the habits of insects, wasps' nests, and other curious auguries, fixing our position at night by the stars and in the daytime by our own shadows.Yamba always went in front and Ifollowed.The bush teemed with fruits and roots.After leaving our own camp in the Cambridge Gulf region we struck a fine elevated land, excellently well watered; and later on we followed the Victoria River in a south-easterly direction through part of the Northern Territories of South Australia.We at length struck a peculiar country covered with coarse grass ten feet or twelve feet high--not unlike the sugar-cane which I afterwards saw, but much more dense.

It was, of course, impossible for us to pursue our course due south, owing to the forests and ranges which we encountered; we had, as a matter of fact, to follow native and kangaroo tracks wherever they took us--east, west, and even north occasionally, generally to water-holes.The progress of the natives is simply from one water supply to another.But as far as possible we pursued our way south.You will understand that this kind of travelling was very different from that which we experienced on the Victoria River--which, by the way, traversed a very fine country.

As we ascended it we passed many isolated hills of perhaps a few hundred feet, and nowhere did I see any scrub or spinifex.

After leaving the Victoria we came upon a more elevated plateau covered with rather fine but short grass; the trees were scarcer here, but finer and bigger.There was plenty of water in the native wells and in the hollows, although we frequently had to remove a few stones to get at it.There were plenty of kangaroos and emus about, as well as turkeys; these latter provided us with an unwonted dish, to say nothing of their delicious eggs.

Another reason for our coming round out of our course when we came to forests was because but little food was found in them.

Kangaroos and other animals were seldom or never found there: they abounded usually in the more scrubby country.Our progress was very leisurely, and, as we met tribe after tribe, we ingratiated ourselves with them and camped at their wells.Occasionally we came upon curious rivers and lagoons that ran into the earth and disappeared in the most mysterious way, only to reappear some distance farther on.Of course, I may be mistaken in this, but such at any rate was my impression.

One day as we were marching steadily along, Yamba startled me by calling out excitedly, "Up a tree,--quick! Up a tree!" And so saying she scampered up the nearest tree herself.Now, by this time I had become so accustomed to acting upon her advice unquestioningly, that without waiting to hear any more I made a dash for the nearest likely tree and climbed into it as fast as Icould.Had she called out to me, "Leap into the river," I should have done so without asking a question.When I was safely in the branches, however, I called out to her (her tree was only a few yards away), "What is the matter?" She did not reply, but pointed to a vast stretch of undulating country over which we had just come; it was fairly well wooded.It lingers in my mind as a region in which one was able to see a fairly long way in every direction--a very unusual feature in the land of "Never Never"!

I looked, but at first could see nothing.Presently, however, it seemed to me that the whole country in the far distance was covered with a black mantle, WHICH APPEARED TO BE MADE UP OF LIVINGCREATURES.

Steadily and rapidly this great mysterious wave swept along towards us; and seeing that I was both puzzled and alarmed, Yamba gave me to understand that WE SHOULD PRESENTLY BE SURROUNDED BY MYRIADS OFRATS, stretching away in every direction like a living sea.The phenomenon was evidently known to Yamba, and she went on to explain that these creatures were migrating from the lowlands to the mountains, knowing by instinct that the season of the great floods was at hand.That weird and extraordinary sight will live in my memory for ever.I question whether a spectacle so fantastic and awe-inspiring was ever dealt with, even in the pages of quasi-scientific fiction.It was impossible for me to observe in what order the rats were advancing, on account of the great stretch of country which they covered.Soon, however, their shrill squeals were distinctly heard, and a few minutes later the edge of that strange tide struck our tree and swept past us with a force impossible to realise.No living thing was spared.Snakes, lizards--ay, even the biggest kangaroos--succumbed after an ineffectual struggle.The rats actually ate those of their fellows who seemed to hesitate or stumble.The curious thing was that the great army never seemed to stand still.It appeared to me that each rat simply took a bite at whatever prey came his way, and then passed on with the rest.