BY FLOOD AND FIELD Adventures Ashore and Afloat in North Australia By ALFRED SEARCY Author of "In Australian Tropics" LONDON G. BELL & SONS, LTD 1912 Befcicatefc BY PERMISSION TO His EXCELLENCY, THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF DUDLEY, P.C., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O. GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES. PREFACE A S I never read a preface unless it be as an afterthought, -{A- and only then if brevity has been observed, it would be inconsistent on my part to do more than state that this book is the outcome of a desire, in the first place, to draw attention to the wonderful and varied resources of that portion of our Island Continent known as the Northern in for delecta- Territory ; and, the second, to set down the tion of young and old some of my adventures during strenuous years spent in that much-neglected portion of the great British Empire. If the reader derive profit or pleasure from this book, his thanks must go to Mrs. JEneas Gunn, authoress of that charming work, We of the Never Never, for it was her kindly and reiterated request that chiefly impelled me to the congenial task. ALFRED SEARCY. ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, April, 1911. 476696 CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I INTRODUCTORY ..... 9 II BLOWN OUT TO SEA . .15 III A TRAGIC SEQUEL .... 20 IV AT WARK .... .27 V OFF TO PORT ESSINGTON ... 37 VI LIFE AT PORT ESSINGTON ... 45 VII AFTER BUFFALO ..... 52 VIII AMONGST THE BIRDS .... 60 IX A BAD TIME 67 X A TURN WITH ALLIGATORS ... 73 XI A GOOD TIME 79 XII THE GOOD TIME CONTINUED . 86 " " XIII A TRIP IN THE ROARING GIMLET . 94 XIV FURTHER TRAGEDIES .... 101 XV AT LAST 108 XVI LIFE IN PORT DARWIN . .113 XVII LIFE IN PORT DARWIN CONTINUED . 126 XVIII DOWN THE COAST . .140 XIX AMONG THE PROAS . .154 XX A CANNIBAL FEAST INTERRUPTED . .164 XXI FIGHT WITH A PYTHON . .168 XXII VENGEANCE ...... 176 XXIII IN A TERRIBLE PLIGHT . 181 XXIV TROUBLE WITH BLACKS AND MALAYS . 185 " " XXV THE BELLE OF THE DAWN . 193 " " XXVI SEIZURE OF THE GOOD RESOLVE . 199 XXVII A FEARFUL DEATH : BOAT BURNT . 204 6 CONTENTS 7 CHAP. PAGE XXVIII A PERILOUS TRIP . .211 XXIX MEET A HARD CITIZEN . 219 XXX WILD LIFE ON THE MCARTHUR . 227 XXXI A DESPERATE FIGHT FOR LIFE . 234 XXXII I JOIN THE POLICE FORCE . .241 XXXIII FUN AT THE ADELAIDE RIVER . 247 XXXIV A DEATH AND A BURGLARY . 253 XXXV OUTBACK INCONSISTENCIES . 257 - XXXVI ON THE ROAD . .262 " " XXXVII A SHOT AT A TRAP . , . 265 XXXVIII Duo His OWN GRAVE . 267 " " XXXIX THE RAGGED THIRTEEN . 270 XL WE JOURNEY TO THE MCARTHUR . 274 XLI HIGHWAY ROBBERY .... 277 XLII MURDERS BY BLACKS . 282 XLIII A PLOT THAT FAILED .... 285 XLIV HUNTING CATTLE STEALERS . 288 XLV FUN AT THE MCARTHUR . 291 XLVI AN OUTLAW ESCAPES . 294 XLVII ON PATROL . 296 XLVI 1 1 WE LEAVE THE MCARTHUR . .301 XLIX SEARCH FOR STICKLEG'S MURDERERS . 303 - L SPEARS AND REVOLVERS . 306 LI WE JOURNEY HOME . .311 " " LII BARRACK LIFE : THE BARON . 316 LIII O'DoNOHUE MEETS HIS MAN AND I A FRIEND . ..'; \ >. 323 LIV CONCLUSION 326 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Port Darwin from Fort Hill . Frontispiece. TO FACE PAGE Rob's Camp, Port Essington ..... 32 Blacks' Camp on Beach, Port Essington. 33 Blacks near Old Ruins, Port Essington ... 48 In the Old Cemetery, Port Essington ... 49 Buffalo Horns ....... 96 Mangrove Swamp ....... 97 Jungle Fowl Nest 112 Dugong (Black on right, wearing Malay Saarong) . 113 Native Grave 160 Landing, Adelaide River . .161 Buffalo Hunter . .... 176 Stuart's Tree 177 In the Jungle . 240 Big Banyan Tree ....... 241 Malay Proas on Coast ...... 256 Alligator Head 257 Roper River Landing ...... 288 Map ........ At end. CHAPTER I Introductory WONDER how many know, or, having known, remem- I ber that the North Coast of Australia was first dis- covered as far back as the year 1572 ? The continent was visited several times during the seventeenth century by the sea of to rovers those days ; but they do not appear have been favourably impressed with the country or its inhabitants. During the reign of Charles II, the British Ambassador at the Hague, Sir William Temple, reported, as a long-known verity, that a great Southern Continent existed to the south of Java ; that its extent was unknown ; and that the Dutch authorities had forbidden any further attempt to add to the then knowledge of the discovery under heavy penalties, having as much trade in their hands as they could manage. It had also been reported that the Dutch East India Company had acted in a similar manner, and for the same reason, coupled with a fear that other European Powers might want to take part in any further development, if that were attempted. About two centuries ago the Malays from Macassar found their way to the coast, which they continued to visit annually, until recently, in search of trepang (bSche- de-mer), pearls, and pearl shell. There is little doubt that long before any settlement by white men had taken place in Australia the aborigines of the North Coast were accus- to visit all the coast tomed Macassar ; and to this day 10 BY FLOOD AND FIELD blacks to the east of Port Darwin speak the Malay lan- guage. In 1824 the British Government founded a settlement on Melville Island, and subsequently others on the main- a the last land ; but they were not success, and one was abandoned in 1849. In 1864 the South Australian Government attempted to form a settlement at Escape Cliffs, but it, too, proved a costly failure. The present capital of the Northern Territory, Port Darwin, may be said to have been first settled in 1869. " " As the name Northern Territory does not convey an adequate idea of the situation of the territory so named, I will give, as briefly as possible, the fuller information needed. The Northern Territory, then, is the northern portion of the Australian Continent that was annexed to South Aus- tralia by Royal Letters Patent in 1863. It is bound on the north by the Arafura Sea, or Indian Ocean ; on the south the the the 138th by 26th parallel of latitude ; on east by meridian of east longitude, and on the west by the 129th meridian of east longitude. This vast region contains acres approximately 531,400 square miles, or 340,096,000 ; about equal in area to that of France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy combined. It is nearly four-and-a-half (4J) times the size of the United Kingdom ; while in some of the cattle stations two Yorkshires could be dropped. The coast, of which there is a line of 1,200 miles, is for the most part low and flat, bounded by sandy beaches at intervals, but generally by mud flats and mangroves. Now let me give a few facts about the country itself, which is nearly all in the tropics, or torrid zone. From what is known from authorities up to the present and from INTRODUCTORY 11 personal knowledge, Mr. H. Y. L. Brown, the South Aus- tralian Government Geologist, classifies it thus : " Pastoral country, well watered, good soil along Rivers and Creeks, tropical vegetation and coarse grass, good feed after burning, subject to tropical rainfall (54 inches Port Darwin, 19 inches Daly Waters for 1905), parts metal bearing and probably coal bearing. Approximate Area, 158,000 Square Miles. " Good Pastoral country, often rich volcanic soil, well grassed Basaltic, Sandstone, and Limestone Hills, wide plains and river flats well watered, subject to intermittent tropical rains. Approximate Area, 34,300 Square Miles. " First-class Pastoral country : open, well grassed, rich soil ; possibly agricultural, subject to intermittent tropi- cal rains. Approximate Area, 29,000 Square Miles. " Patches of good country for Pastoral purposes, chiefly along Creeks and Rivers, patches of spinifex scrub and sandhills. Uncertain rainfall, parts metal bearing. Approximate Area, 148,000 Square Miles. " Spinifex, Scrub and Sandhill country, with patches of inferior Pastoral country, badly watered and uncer- tain rainfall. Parts metal bearing. Approximate Area, 162,100 Square Miles." It is well known that there is no better country for horse and cattle breeding in Australia than in this vast area, if, indeed, it can be surpassed in the world. Also, that the portion known as the Barclay Tablelands, situated between the 17th and 21st degrees of south latitude and extending from the Queensland border to the telegraph is suitable for it is that from line, sheep ; and estimated ten to fifteen million of these could be depastured thereon. That the northernmost portion of the country is an ideal place for buffalo we have ample proof. When the old military settlements were abandoned a few of these ani- 12 BY FLOOD AND FIELD mals the water buffalo of Timor were left behind. They increased and spread until now they are occasionally seen in Queensland. During the last thirty years some fifty thousand have been shot for their hides and horns, the flesh of the animals being wasted. There are numerous rivers, some of which are navigable for deep-sea craft for a considerable distance. On the head waters of these and the tributaries there is splendid country where mixed farming could be carried on, and without doubt will be, with great success. When I say " mixed farming," I mean the growing of sub-tropical products and the breeding of certain animals, particularly angora goats and pigs. Bacon curing will yet be a great in- dustry in the Territory. That tropical products, properly so called, will do well has been abundantly shown, and a large area suitable for such lies waiting for enterprise near the coast and the rivers and swamps.