Scarce had life left the body of the prostrate bull before I ripped open the carcass between the fore and hind legs; and after remarking to Yamba, "I am going to have heat this time," I crawled into the interior.My head, however, was protruding from the buffalo's chest.Yamba understood perfectly well what I was doing;and when I told her I was going to indulge in a long sleep in my curious resting-place, she said she would keep watch and see that Iwas not disturbed.I remained buried in the bull's interior for the rest of the day and all through the night.Next morning, to my amazement, I found I was a prisoner, the carcass having got cold and rigid, so that I had literally to be dug out.As I emerged Ipresented a most ghastly and horrifying spectacle.My body was covered with congealed blood, and even my long hair was all matted and stiffened with it.But never can I forget the feeling of exhilaration and strength that took possession of me as I stood there looking at my faithful companion.I WAS ABSOLUTELY CURED--a new man, a giant of strength! I make a present of the cure to the medical profession.
Without delay I made my way down to the lagoon and washed myself thoroughly, scrubbing myself with a kind of soapy clay, and afterwards taking a run in order to get dry.This extraordinary system of applying the carcass of a freshly killed animal is invariably resorted to by the natives in case of serious illness, and they look upon it as an all but infallible cure.Certainly it was surprisingly efficacious in my own case.
Next day we directed our attention to the capture of the cow, which was still wandering around her imprisoned little one, and only leaving it for a few minutes at a time in order to get food.Iconstructed a small fence or inclosure of sticks, and into this we managed to drive the cow.We then kept her for two days without food and water, in order to tame her, and did not even let her little calf come near her.We then approached her, and found her perfectly subdued, and willing to take food and water from us precisely as though she were the gentlest Alderney.
I found I was even able to milk her; and I can assure you that Inever tasted anything more delicious in my life than the copious droughts of fresh milk I indulged in on that eventful morning.In fact, I practically lived on nothing else for the next few days, and it pulled me round in a most surprising way.The flesh of the dead buffalo I did not touch myself, but handed it over to the blacks, who were vastly impressed by my prowess as a mighty hunter.
They themselves had often tried to kill buffalo with their spears, but had never succeeded.I removed the bull's hide, and made a big rug out of it, which I found very serviceable indeed in subsequent wet seasons.It was as hard as a board, and nearly half an inch thick.
When I returned to "Captain Davis" and the rest of my friends at Raffles Bay, I was quite well and strong once more, and I stayed with them three or four months, hunting almost every day (there were even wild ponies and English cattle--of course, relics of the old settlement), and picking up all the information I could.I had many conversations with Davis himself, and he told me that I should probably find white men at Port Darwin, which he said was between three and four hundred miles away.The tribe at Port Essington, Imay mention, only numbered about fifty souls.This was about the year 1868.Captain Davis--who was passionately fond of tobacco, and would travel almost any distance to obtain an ounce or two from the Malay beche-de-mer fishers--pointed out to me a blazed tree near his camp on which the following inscription was cut:-LUDWIG LEICHHARDT, Overland from Sydney, 1847.
It was therefore evident that this district had already been visited by a white man; and the fact that he had come overland filled me with hopes that some day I, too, might return to civilisation in the same way.The English-speaking black chief assured me that his father had acted as guide to Leichhardt, but whether the latter got back safely to Sydney again he never knew.
The white traveller, he said, left Port Essington in a ship.
