the game, it came in tracts and districts. Sometimes they thought themselves fortunate could they secure a few pigeons, at others, they revelled in pinguid plenty,-kangaroos roasted whole, fat ibis, flying foxes in scores, and ducks by the dozen. The atmosphere of these latitudes must be particularly favourable to the appetite, judging from the following passage."Charley Brown and John, who had been left at the lagoon to shoot waterfowl, returned with twenty ducks for luncheon, and went out again during the afternoon to procure more for dinner and breakfast. They succeeded in shooting thirty-one ducks and two geese; so that we had fiftyone ducks and two geese for the three meals; and they were all eaten, with the exception of a few bony remains, which some of the party carried to the next camp. If we had had a hundred ducks, they would have been eaten quite as readily, if such an extravagant feast had been permitted." A century of the web-footed for one day's consumption! And they were seven-no more! Surely this was playing at ducks and drakes with their resources. Fourteen ducks, a leg, a wing, and a bit of the breast, entombed, within twenty-four hours, in the stomach of each of these seven men! The very feathers in their pillows (had they had any) would have cried out against such voracity. Truly it is without a spark of compassion that we read of their reduction, precisely one week afterwards, to short and less palatable commons. "Oct. 26. We enjoyed most gratefully our two wallabies, which were stewed, and to which I had added some green hide, to render the broth more substantial. This hide was almost five months old, and had served as a case to my botanical collection, which, unfortunately, I had been compelled to leave behind. It required, however, a little longer stewing than a fresh hide, and was rather tasteless." We avow total unacquaintance with wallabies, their size and edible qualities, but, whatever their dimensions, the fact of a five-months'-old hide having been stewed with them to ameliorate the broth, says very little for their succulence. The sweetness, as well as the greenness of the 66 case to the botanical collection," may fairly be doubted. We should have an ill opinion of the pottage that needed an old portmanteau to improve its consistency, and strongly mistrust the nutritious qualities of the meagre wallabi-broth, which followed so closely on the heels of the Feast of Ducks. This It was very fortunate for Dr Leichhardt and his companions-who certainly had abundance of difficulties to encounter-that the country they traversed was nearly free from ferocious beasts and noxious reptiles. They had plenty to do without combating such formidable enemies. Throughout the whole journal there is no mention of any dangerous animal, except crocodiles and alligators,-easily avoided, and not much to be dreaded. On the 19th June, "Charley and Brown, who had gone to the river, returned at a late hour, when they told us they had seen the tracks of a large animal on the sands of the river, which they judged to be about the size of a big dog, trailing a long tail like a snake. Charley said, that when Brown fired his gun, a deep noise like the bellowing of a bull was heard, which frightened both so much that they immediately decamped. was the first time we became aware of the existence of the crocodile in the waters of the gulf." Afterwards they not unfrequently fell in with them. Near the banks of a magnificent saltwater river-named by Dr Leichhardt the "Robinson," in honour of one of the promoters of the expedition-they came upon a native well. "When Charley first discovered it, he saw a crocodile leaning its long head over the clay-wall, enjoying a drink of fresh water." Of venomous snakes and insects, we also find little or no account in the Doctor's diary. Once only there was a suspicion of the kind. Upon leaving a camp on the river Lynd, the lad Murphy's pony was missing, and Charley went back to look for it. "He brought us the melancholy news that he had found the poor beast on the sands of the Lynd, with its body blown up, and bleeding from the nostrils.. It had either been bitten by a snake or had caten some noxious herb, which had 6 fortunately been avoided by the other having got so far on his expeditiou, horses." Sand-flies and mosquitoes for the time occupied in reaching the were very troublesome, large yellow gulf exceeded the period in which he hornets savage in their attacks, and had expected to arrive at Port Essingants every where. Of these, the ton, and his companions had begun species called the funnel-ant is worthy to despond, and even to question his of notice for the peculiarity of its nest. abilities as a guide and leader. “We It digs a perpendicular hole in the shall never come to Port Essington," ground, and surrounds the opening - the melancholy cry that too often with an elevated wall, sloping out- reached Leichhardt's ears, -was exwards like a funnel ; a style of archi- changed for a joyful hurra at sight of tecture of which, upon a rainy day, salt water. Fatigues and privations the tenant of the dwelling must were for the time forgotten, as though feel the disadvantage. The white the goal, instead of the half-wayant is also met with, and builds itself house, had been attained. The caravan massive hills of enormous size. “I had been nine months out; they had followed the Casuarina Creek up to still nearly six to pass before reaching its head, and called it “Big Ant-Hill their journey's end ; and for various Creek,' in consequence of numerous reasons, the latter portion was the most gigantic strangely-buttressed struc- painful and difficult. They got amongst tures of the white ant, which I had the salt creeks and lagoons, and fresh never seen of such a form, and of so water was often very difficult to find. large a size." Within three days' Then the little stock of comforts they journey of the gulf of Carpentaria, had brought from Moreton Bay, the box-tree flat was studded with became gradually exhausted. The turreted ant-hills, either single sharp flour was gone before they reached cones, three to five feet high, or united the gulf; the sugar was finished up, in rows and forming piles of remark- even to the boiling of the bags, that able appearance. none of the saccharine particles might Their arrival at the gulf of Carpen- be lost—and at length they came to taria, which occurred on the 5th their last pot of tea. This was a July, was a joyful event to the wan- great deprivation, for tea had been derers. From the map accompanying found most refreshing and restorative. Dr Leichhardt's journal, it appears Their diet now was dry beef and they did not take the most direct water. They tried various substitrack from Moreton Bay to Port tutes for the latter, but with no very Essington, but inclined too much to good result. The M'Kenzie bean the right, reaching the gulf on its served as coffee, and although diseastern instead of its southern shore, agreeing at first, was finally relished. and having consequently, as they Mr Phillips, who discovered and were proceeding north-west, to strike adopted it, subsequently tried a simioff at right angles in a S.S.W. direc- lar preparation of acacia seeds, whose tion. For this deviation from the effects, however, were such as not to direct line, there may have been good encourage consumers. To vary their reason in the nature of the ground, edibles, they ate vine-beans in porthe forests, mountains, and other ridge, and the young leaves of difficulties to be avoided, and in the bulrushes --coming, in fact, as near necessity of preserving the vicinity to grazing as human beings well can. of water. Hitherto the progress of Their animal food was not always of the expedition was most satisfactory, the choicest, as the following passage the only important drawback being testifies : " During the night a great a the death of poor Gilbert. A line of number of flying foxes came to revel land communication between the in the honey of the blossoms of the eastern and northern coasts of Aus- gum-trees. Charley shot three, and tralia had been discovered and care- we made a late but welcome supper fully mapped ; it was well supplied of them. They were not so fat as with water, and the country was those we had eaten before, and tasted excellent-available almost through- a little strong; but in messes made out for pastoral purposes. The Doc- at night, it was always difficult to tor had special reason to rejoice at find out the cause of any particular. VOL. LXII.-NO CCCLXXXV. 2 R taste, as Master Brown wished to “Whilst we were waiting for our bulget as quickly as possible over his lock," (they were reduced to their last, work, and was not over particular in which they were unwilling to kill, and cleaning them." A negligence de A negligence de- took to Port Essington,) " which had serving of the bastinado. The notion returned to the running brook, a fine of any animal, bearing the name of native stepped out of the forest with the fox, being served up with the trail, ease and grace of an Apollo, with a is too full-flavoured to be agreeable, smiling countenance, and with the conand the dish might cause a revolt in fidence of a man to whom the white face the stomach of the least particular of was perfectly familiar. He was unAustralian bush-rangers. By this armed, but a great number of his comtime, however, Dr Leichhardt and panions were keeping back to watch his party were inured to every sort the reception he should meet with. of abomination in the way of food, We received him, of course, most and were not difficult to please. cordially ; and upon being joined by Other troubles they had, more sen- another good-looking little man, we sibly felt than the coarse quality of heard him utter distinctly, the words the vivers. Their scanty wardrobe • Commandant!' " Come here !' • Very threatened to fail them ; and, already good !' • What's your name?' If my reduced to the produce of the forest readers have at all identified themfor their daily food, it appeared by selves with my feelings throughout no means improbable they would have this trying journey, if they have to resort to the same primitive source imagined only a tithe of the difficulties for raiment to cover their nakedness. we have encountered, they will readily “ The few shirts we had with us be- imagine the startling effect which came so worn and threadbare, that these, as it were, magic words prothe slightest tension would tear them. duced ; we were electrified-our joy To find materials for mending the knew no limits, and I was ready to body, we had to cut off the sleeves; embrace the fellows, who, seeing the and when these were used, pieces happiness with which they inspired were taken from the lower part of the us, joined with a most merry grin in shirt to mend the upper. Our trousers the loud expression of our feelings." became equally patched, and the want The party were within a fortnight's of soap prevented us from washing march of Port Essington, where they them clean.” Worse than this, in arrived on the 17th day of December, flammation, boils, and prickly heat, and received a kind welcome and tormented the travellers, and their needful supplies from Captain Maccattle showed symptoms of breaking Arthur, commandant of the place. down. At first, there were plenty of After a month's stay, they took "ship, spare horses, but these had perished and reached Sydney at the end of from accidents and Misease ; those March. which remained became daily weaker We have already referred to the from over-work and want of water, strong feeling prevailing at Sydney and were sore-footed and tired from against the practicability of Dr travelling over rocky ranges, their Leichhardt's projected expedition, to shoes, useless in the grass-land, the numerous efforts made to induce having been long since removed. him to abandon it, and to the conLeichhardt, who, on reaching the gulf, fident predictions of its failure, and of had sanguinely hoped the worst of the the destruction of all engaged in it. journey over, soon found his mistake. It will be remembered, also, that about Bad enough before, it was far worse a month after the departure of the now, and too much praise can hardly adventurers from Moreton Bay, it had be accorded to the cheerful courage been found necessary, in consequence with which the Doctor endured hard- of loss of stores and scarcity of game, ships, wrestled with difficulties, sus- to send back some of the party, and tained the spirits of his companions, that Mr Hodgson, suffering and disand pressed on over all obstacles, to heartened, had volunteered to rethe termination of his long and weary turn. His reappearance in the colony pilgrimage. It was now (at the be- strengthened the doubts already enginning of December) not very distant. tertained, and little surprise was excited when, a month or two after- is inscribed, some very beautiful wards, news came through a party of stanzas. They were addressed to a natives, that the adventurous band party formed to proceed, under guidhad been attacked, and its members ance of Mr Hodgson, in the footsteps murdered, by a tribe to the northward. of Dr Leichhardt, and to ascertain his There could be small doubt of the fate. By favour of a near relative of catastrophe, which elicited from Mr Mr Lynd, resident in the environs of Lynd of Sydney, a bosom friend of Edinburgh, we are enabled here to Leichhardt, and to whom the Journal introduce them.. Ye who prepare, with pilgrim feet, Your long and doubtful path to wend, The relics of my murdered friend, To where some mountain streamlet flows, The pillow of his long repose. Are drank by birds of every wing ; The earliest wakening touch of spring; All beauteous Nature's varied charms, Within his mother's fondest arms. And laid the good man's ashes there, And wait upon your God in prayer ; No anthem pour its solemn breath, With all the hallowed pomp of death, Devoutly bowed upon the sod, Which consecrates the soul to God : How, faithful to the hopes of men, Shall breathe upon his bones again! Heap not the rock upon his dust! Shall guard the ashes of the just! The memory of that spot to keep; My venturous friend is laid in sleep. And be those happier times at hand, Comes brightning o'er that weary land, Beneath the drooping miall's gloom, And pluck a leaf on Leichhardt's tomb. 1 These charming verses were dated ledging the enthusiasm, the perseverthe 2d of July 1845. It was not till ance, and the talent, which prompted the close of the following March, that you to undertake, and enabled you the clond suspended over the destiny successfully to prosecute, your late of the expedition was suddenly dis- perilous journey through a portion of pelled by the appearance of Leichhardt the hitherto untrodden wilds of himself. As may be supposed, an Australia.” A flattering letter from enthusiastic welcome awaited the pil- the Colonial Secretary at Sydney, grim, whose bones were long since announcing the government grant, a supposed to be bleaching in the wil- gold medal from the Royal Geographderness. Subscriptions were set on ical Society of London, and another foot, and soon amounted to fifteen from that of Paris, have further hundred pounds, which, with another rewarded Dr Leichhardt's meritorious thousand pounds voted by the Legis- labours. Unflinching in pursuit of lative Council, were divided amongst science, he again set forth, in Decemthe seven persons composing the ber 1845, on an overland journey to expedition. Dr Leichhardt, to whom Swan River, expected to occupy two the lion's share was with justice years and a half. This time he is awarded, received it at a meet- better provided. His party consists ing held in the School of Arts at of only eight persons, but he has Sydney, of which an account is given mules for the stores, fourteen horses, in the Sydney IIerald under the head forty oxen, and two hundred and of “ The Leichhardt Testimonial," seventy goats. And he further takes and where Dr Nicholson, speaker of with him—light but pleasant baggage the Legislative Council, addressed the —the warm sympathy and hearty good intrepid traveller, in a strain of high wishes of all to whom his amiable and well-merited eulogium. “ It character and previous labours are would be difficult," he said, “to known, class which the publication employ any terms that might be con- of the present Journal will doubtless sidered as exaggerated, in acknow- tend largely to increase. MAGUS MUIR. The subject of the following ballad is the atrocious and dastardly assassination of James Sharp, Archbishop of St Andrews and Primate of Scotland. More than one attempt was made upon the life of that eminent prelate. On the 11th of July, 1668, a shot was fired into his carriage in the High Street of. Edinburgh, by one James Mitchell, a fanatical field preacher, and an associate of the infamous Major Weir. The primate escaped unharmed, but his colleague Honyman, Bishop of Orkney, received a severe wound, from the effects of which he died in the following year. The assassin Mitchell fled to Holland, but subsequently returned, and was arrested in the midst of his preparations for another diabolical attempt. This man, who afterwards suffered for his crimes, and who in consequence has obtained a place in the book of “ Covenanting Martyrology," described his motive "as an impulse of the Holy Spirit, and justified it from Phinehas killing Cosbi and Zimri, and from that law in Deuteronomy commanding to kill false prophets !" This is no matter of surprise, when it is recollected that the “principles of assassination," as Mr C. K. Sharp observes, “ were strongly recommended in Naphthali, Jus Populi Vindicatum, and afterwards in The Find let Loose, which books were in almost as much esteem with the Presbyterians as their Bibles." Sir George Mackenzie states, “ These irreligious and beterodox books, called Naphthali and Jus Populi, had made the killing of all dissenters from Presbytery seem not only lawful, but a duty among many of that profession : and in a postscript to Jus Populi, it was told that the sending of the Archbishop of St Andrews' head to the king would be the best present that could be made to Jesus Christ." * Lawson's History of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. |