Athirst in the Desert

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17527, 2 May 1925, Page 17

Athirst in the Desert

How the observance of a custom nearly cost two men their lives.

THE most desolate stretch of country on the face of the globe outside the Polar regions is that which has been christened “ The Dead Heart of Central Australia,” lying north and west of Lake Eyre. Only along certain routes, and at certain times vi the year, is it traversed by caravlns of camels in charge of Afghan drivers. But even cafnels cannot exist indefinitely without water, and to meet this need the Government lias put down bores at intervals along tho caravan routes to Queensland and the North. The routes between the bores are patrolled by n:embers of the Australian Mounted Police, and it is to two of them, Messrs G. Horne anil G. Aiston, that we arc indebted for much interesting information concerning the conn-

try, cotamed in their new book en- _ titled, 44 Savage Life in Central Aus- j tralia,” says an English writer. These stony, wind-swept plains are known as “ the gibbers,” a native term, th© origin of which is obscure. On th© gibbers men lose their way and die for want of water. An important part of“ the dutv of the police patrol consists iri tracking down those unfortunates who have become 44 bushed ” on the gibbers, and while thus engaged Mr Aiston himself came within an ac© of sharing the fate of the man whose life lie was trying to save. He had set out on the trail of a lost Afghan camel-driver, taking with him a compatriot «f the missing man. After riding hard all day they came upon what the crows hail left of liis horse. The next day. till late in the evening, they followed liis unmistakable

T finished. ' First they found his turban. Further on strewed along the ground was the rest of his clothing. And at last they came noon the body of the missing camel-driver, who had died for want of water. Aiston had i;-id down, leaving the Afghan to fill in the grave, when, happening to glance in his direction I he was just in time to see the last : precious canteen of water being ? emptied over the sandy mould, in con- ; formity with some Mohammedan burial custom. i He yelled aloud and jumped up. i but it was too late. 44 Me make flowers grow,” was the only explan- ? ation vouchsafed by the optimistic j Afghan, whose religious scruples quite outweighed his fear of perishing. In the morning they set out on the i return journey—with empty canteens.

After two days’ t rare I they reached a shallow well, known as a- “soak”—to find ii had salt- , 'l'heir horses collapsed, and they were compelled to finish the last stage on loot. Fifteen miles out the Afghan stumbled and fell in his tracks, tillable lo walk any further. Alston struggled on. though delirious from thirst, and the next thing he re mi embers is lying under the bore-fed water trough f»t the station and listening lialf-cousciously to the heat of hoots as his comrade galloped out to the rescue •*) i• Ai' liau.