[[1]] A native hut built of bark or sticks plastered with mud; called also a "gunyah" or a "whirlie".
Selecting a shady tree, Brown indicated that their swags should be brought up, and this being done he remarked:
"What do you say to a feed, and then getting Christopher here to show us the ropes?"
"Just as well," returned Brown; "we must take everything as a matter of course, and show no surprise."
Billy made a fire, and the quarts were put on to boil, a proceeding which interested the spectators greatly. Brown by signs then invited Columbus to sit down, and presented him with a piece of damper thickly coated with sugar, at the same time eating a piece himself to inspire confidence.
The native started to eat in a slow and doubtful manner, but after a bite or two finished it off with great gusto and indicated a wish for more.
The quarts now bubbled up, and the blacks with one accord emitted a united "ha!"[[2]] and pointed to the westward; evidently the boiling water bore some resemblance to something in that direction.
[[2]] Wild Australian blacks know nothing of boiling water. They make water hot by putting hot stones in it.
Columbus now described a mark in the dust like a half-circle, and pointed in the direction they had come. "He means the horse-tracks they saw," said Morton, after a pause. He nodded vigorously to the old man, who continued his pantomime by lying on his back as though dead. Morton nodded again and patted the ground, pointing backwards to indicate that the corpse was still there.
Columbus then called the other blacks aside, and after a long talk half a dozen of them drew off and disappeared amongst the surrounding boulders.