VALLEY OF THE DEEGAY.
October 7.
The whole of this day's journey (fourteen miles) was along the same valley that we had entered yesterday. The deep bed of a stream, then containing a chain of ponds only, pursued a meandering course through it. We saw in this valley a pair of cockatoos with the scarlet and yellow top-knot. (Plate 23.) We had not been long encamped when intelligence was brought me by Piper that a party of natives were following our track, and soon after, Burnett and he having gone out to encourage them to come up, seven, including an old man and two boys, approached and I hastened out to meet them that they might not sit down too close to our camp. They told us the creek watering this long valley was named Deegay.
NATIVES EXCHANGE BASKETS FOR AXES.
Three of them carried very neatly-wrought baskets, and I gave two tomahawks in exchange for two of the baskets, and then making signs that it was time to sleep I returned to my tent, hoping that they would go to their tribe.
THEY LINGER ABOUT OUR CAMP.
On looking out however some time after, I found that two had walked boldly up to our fires, while the others continued to cower over a few embers at the spot where I left them; the evening being very cold and stormy. Piper, who at first seemed much disposed to make friends of these people, had found that his endeavours to conciliate strange natives were as usual in vain, and was now going about sword in hand, while three of the strangers seemed desirous to assuage his anger by telling him a long yarn. The other, who was the old man, was casting a covetous eye on all things around the camp. When I went out they retired to the group, but long after it had become quite dark there they still sat, having scarcely any fire and evidently bent on mischief.
EFFECT OF FIREWORKS, ETC.
I really was not sorry then to find that they still continued, for I had made arrangements for having a little amusement in that case, although their object in lingering there was nothing less than to kill us when asleep. Accordingly at a given signal Burnett suddenly sallied forth wearing a gilt mask and holding in his hand a blue light with which he fired a rocket.* Two men concealed behind the boat-carriage bellowed hideously through speaking trumpets, while all the others shouted and discharged their carabines in the air. Burnett marched solemnly towards the astonished natives who were seen through the gloom but for an instant as they made their escape and disappeared forever; leaving behind them however rough-shaped heavy clubs which they had made there in the dark with the new tomahawks we had given them, and which clubs were doubtless made for the sole purpose of beating out our brains as soon as we fell asleep. Thus their savage thirst for our blood only afforded us some hearty laughing. Such an instance of ingratitude was to me however a subject of painful reflection. The clubs made in the dark, during a very cold night, with the tomahawks I had given them, enabled me to understand better what the intentions of the natives had been in other similar cases; and I was at length convinced that no kindness had the slightest effect in altering the disposition and savage desire of these wild men to kill white strangers on their first coming among them. That Australia can never be explored with safety except by very powerful parties will probably be proved by the treacherous murder of many brave white men.**
(*Footnote. The use of these masks, which I on several occasions displayed with success, was first suggested to me by Sir John Jamison.)