DESERT PATROL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1937, Page 11

DESERT PATROL

INHOSPITABLE LAND

ARID ABORIGINE RESERVE *

ARDUOUS CAMEL TOUR

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, January 15.

After having spent four months on patrol in the great south-western aborigines' reserve in Central Australia, Mr. T. G. H. Strehlow, the only patrol officer in the Northern Territory Administration, has returned lo Darwin. Accompanicd by his wife, he travelled more than 1200 miles by camel through some of the most arid country of the continent, carrying out special investigations into aborigines. His repox-t emphasises the inhospitable nature of the country, the unreliable nature of water supplies, and the hardships of travel. Mr. Strehlow, who had a brilliant scholastic career in Adelaide, was brought up at the Hermannsburg mission in South Australia, his playfellows being blacks, and he speaks several native dialects fluently. His party had with it several pack camels carrying water, and several aborigines. It started from Charlotte Waters. The wisdom of carrying large supplies of water soon became apparent, as many waterholes in the Petermann Ranges were dry or intolerably brackish. At Umbiarra, the party was given half a bullock, on which. it depended for seven weeks while passing through country where scarcely a sign of native game was seen. The winter rains had been poor, and little food or water was found throughout the journey. For days the country was almost featureless, the monotony being relieved occasionally by a salt lake or a low hill. More than 200 miles of this type of country was encountered before the dusty and begrimed party reached Mount Conner, the first of the lonely crags and hills that stand out from the red sand dunes which cover the greater of the southwestern reserve. When the water supplies were running, low, three aborigines in the party spent days digging out a soak at Anari, but could get sufficient water for only three drums. TALES OF TERROR. Unknown' to Mr. Strehlow, one of the guides related at the camp fire tales of horror about the western Petermann Ranges, telling the natives that the whole land was strewn with the bones of dead people, and Mr. Strehlow had difficulty in persuading the terrified aborigines to continue the journey into this desolate country. Anxiety about water compelled the party to deviate to the Kelly Hills, where the maps indicated that water was available. They found the soak full of thick mud, from which an evil stench arose. The party had to dig out the well, and toiled throughout the day to obtain sufficient dirty water, to fill two canteens.

Insufficient water for the camels and lack of herbage compelled a forced march into the reserve proper to another soak. The country comprised a series of low sandhills, and the tired team staggered along a winding track through the withered spinifex. On the southern horizon the Musgrave Ranges loomed against the sky, gaunt and colourless. Dead camel poison bush covered great areas of sandy ground, increasing the hazards of the journey. It was like a dead world. No game was to be seen. The camels began to stray at night in quest of water. The feed was too poor and dry to yield them enough moisture for. their needs, and the soaks and rock waterholes invariably yielded only enough for a few mouthfuls for each camel. ,On several occasions the natives searched all night before they recovered the camels. The party reached a rock waterhole at Undira, to find it had sanded in. The team wearily pressed on to Wala Spring, where a guide assured Mr. Strehlow that water was plentiful. Two days later the party reached the edge of the spring to find that it had vanished, leaving a little pool of foul water. Nothing remained but to push on again. On the way the party saw numerous smoke columns, indicating the presence of roaming aborigines. These natives are employed by whites on the edge of the reserve to trap dingoes. RELIEF FOR THE CAMELS.

Days passed before Mr. Strehlow reached the Kalbi soak, and the supplies of water were practically exhausted. Kalbi is on the eastern edge of the Petermann Range, and the party came upon the best soakage they had found on their trip. The sand kept caving in, but a hole 14 feet deep was excavated before water was found, and then they had to wait a day for the water to collect. Although it was dirty brown in colour, with a foul stench, the parched camels pushed jone another aside in a fight for the water. The elevenj camels needed at least 110 gallons of water to satisfy their thirst. The next soak, the party was told, was 20 miles further on, over a series of red-crested sandhills covered by the finest forests of desert oaks that exist in the reserve. Again the water supplies dwindled, and 40 miles more were covered, but the soak had dried up many weeks previously, and the party had to press on again. The camels • proved troublesome at night, as they smelt the water in the canteens and fought to get near it. The following day the party reached Inankatar, where they were amazed to find a huge rock hole full of clear rain water. When the party reached Piltadi, the most easterly waterhole of Fetermann's Range, it was decided to rest for a week to recuperate, and the party lay down in the shade of a few depressing gum trees and thin, gauntbranched mulgas, which comprised all the vegetation the countryside had to offer. The country. was barren, with no sign of game. Again Mr. Strehlow had to calm the natives, who had been told tales of horror, of devils who were now the sole inhabitants of the Petermann Range. The suspense of waiting depressed the spirits of the natives, and the guides grew silent and morose. Relief was general when it was time to push on to the Shaw River. ADVICE TO THE NATIVES. Shortly afterwards the party encountered a few stray aborigines. Mr. Strehlow impressed on these natives that they were not to drift into civilisation. The main quest of establishing contact with aborigines having been accomplished, Mr. Strehlow turned back. Speed was essential because of the long series of treacherous dry stages before the party. At length they arrived at the broad dry bed of the Armstrong River, whose course runs north before it is smothered by the vast spinifex deserts. These deserts are of great beauty. They are covered by groves of majestic desert oaks.

After a 60 miles dry stage the party reached the red-domed Mount Olga, leaving behind the dim blue southern bluffs and ridges among which they journeyed for so many weeks. A further 100 miles dry stage was covered in almost unbearable heat. After another week's halt to recuperate, the party reached Hermannsburg. having completed 1212 miles by camel over some of the leasl hospitable country in the world.