Terrors of the Wilds

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7295, 4 August 1930, Page 9

Terrors of the Wilds

WOMEN ADVENTURERS’ EXPERIENCES. CENTRAL AUSTRALIA TOUR. A romarkablo story of adventure in the wildest parts of Australia is told by Mrs. Carl Norman and Sirs. Bernard Levy, who recently accompanied -a party o-f Metallurgists in tho aeroplane Canabctra on a visit to the Green Parrot Mine, in the centre of South Australia. If it docs nothing else, their story gives the present generation some idea of tho extraordinary trials of the early day explorers. Mrs. Norman has travelled all over tho world, and has visited many strange lands, but she says that she does not -want any mono experiences of life in Central Australia.

The "women tell liow the party cn. countered venomous snakes aud deadly scorpions. They were assailed by myriads of flies, making it necessary to “swish” each other while they were having their meals. And all their food v.-as mixed with the gritty red sand of tho desert. Their food consisted of bread that was two weeks old, a few dog biscuits, tins of corned beef, tea without milk, and the steak from wild bullocks. Mrs. Norman lost Sib. in weight during the trip. The two women slept on beds of gum leaves collected by the black women. They had their revolvers by their pr'nnr itive beds for fear that a native wearing “murder shoes” of feathers, blood and human hair, which prevent trackers telling tho direction of tho footsteps, might sneak upon them at night. Oneo they had to climb trees hastily to avoid being trampled to death by a herd of wild bullocks. Tho owner of tho mine is Mr C. Hanlon, brother -of Mrs. Levy. With his thirty white and black minors, lie lives isolated from the rest of the world at a prjmitivo camp 220 miles from the Alice Springs. Their kitchen is formed of bushes and has no roof, but they clp not have to worry about rain out there. They have to go four miles for water, and as that supply was giving out they would soon have to go 30 miles. Round the camp a pack of dingoes howled dismally all through till a r-ight, and in tho morning the screeching of tho crows took the place of alarm clocks.

While tho aeroplane was at tho camp it was intensely hot in tho daytime and intensely cold at nights, necessitating many blankets and sleeping bags.

Death’s head spiders, two inches in diameter, crawled all over tho tent, and in the distance could bo heard the clashing of spears, when natives were doing their war clancas, and the screams of gins who wero being beaten. Ono black girl from a lioad-hunting tribe was quito good looking and she sported many bangles and other adornments. She also had the sears of terrible tribal wounds. All the natives were as black as t'bony, with beautiful teeth.