EPISODE WITH BLACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22117, 24 May 1935, Page 16

EPISODE WITH BLACKS

LINE OF FIRESTICKS OFFICIAL PARTY'S ADVENTLRES After a midnight encounter with blacks and the extinction of a fire in the car containing the Australian Minister of the Interior, Mr. Paterson, and a Parliamentary party, a strenuous 1300-mile rush through the country to the north and west of Alice Springs terminated. The cars were proceeding at intervals of a quarter of a" mile in pitch dark, and when about 70 miles from Conniston Station the occupants of the second car saw a thin point of red light moving about the tops of the spinifex about 50 yards to one sido of the track. A moment later a naked black, daubed with ochre and carrying a firestick, loomed at the side of the vehicle and jabbered to the driver. The following cars had a similar experience, and all of them, after having been slowed down owing to the curiosity -of the occupants to learn the source of the red lights, continued at increased speed. The passengers in the last car focusacd a ray from a .torch on the holder of the firestick some distance bf fore they came level with him and obviously nonplussed him, A momentary glimpse of the other natives bobbing down behind tho' bushes caused tho car driver to accelerate rapidly. It was not until 20 miles had been covered that tho leading cars halted, and camp was made. One driver stated that, a black had thrust an arm into the sido of the car," and had endeavoured to grab a torch he was holding. About mid-day riext day, after some heavy low-gear work in crossing a wide, sandy creek bed, the car driven by the deputy-administrator, Mr. Carrington, and containing Mr. Paterson, caught fire underneath. The flames fed on dry grass which had packed itself under the chassis, and were extinguished only after sand, water, and' the whole of the contents of a fire extinguisher had been used on them.