FRANTIC CATTLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19049, 30 June 1924, Page 5

FRANTIC CATTLE

SEVENTY DEATHS IN NIGHT. EFFECT OF POISON SHRUB. WOMEN DROVER’S ORDEAL. SYDNEY, June 19. The party which includes two women diuveis, and which set out a week or two ago from Helen Springs Station with a mob of 400 cattie, bound for Oodnadatta, thus traversing the centre of Australia, had a most exciting and perilous experience to the south of Wycliffe Well. This is the party which Mr. Stewart, a Federal Minister, while making an overland journey through the heart of the continent, came across one evening,, and was astonished, during the nignt, to hear continuous singing in the distance, it being explained to him that, owing to there being no enclosures along the long route, it was necessary for the drovers to keep watch all night, and that they sang to the cattle in order to avoid frightening them by coming suddenly upon them in the dark and causing a stampede.

The Minister on that occasion was struck by the capacity of the two young horsewomen, who were taking their part as drovers. They would not hear of any difference being made in their favour when their turn came round for the long night vigils, and in dashing after the cattle they displayed quite as much skill as experienced stockmen. It was during one of these nights, some days after the Minister had left the party, that they were subjected to a terrible ordeal. After a tiring day over rough coutry the mob had been camped about 400 miels north ot Oodnadatta, and the cattle were left to graze on the surrounding herbage. Tho night set in bitterly cold, and the drovers were glad to keep as near as possible to the big fire that was kept going all night, which was pitch dark, they rode hurriedly into the camp and gave the alarm that many of the cattle were show ing extreme restlessness, and many were plunging wildly about in the darkness, but that they could not tell the cause.

All hands turned out, and soon the night was filled with an awesome mingling of songs and bellowings as the stockmen sought in vain to quieten the growing excitement of the cattle. Before long they had all their work cut out to prevent the in furiated animals from breaking off in all directions. Roars and groans incresed, and it was dangerous to dismount among the animals, because many had thrown themselves on the ground and were writhing and kicking in apparent agony. It was evident that many had eaten some poison herbage, but so many were affected, and it was difficult to locate them with tho hurricane lamps, and so dangerous to go near them in the darkness, that any treatment was out of the question, even though the remedies, had been at hand. The turmoil continued almost througout the night. By almost superhuman efforts the mob was kept together, but as dawn broke it was seen that the effects of the poison had been disastrous. Over 70 animals lay dead and many others were still writhing in agony, but apparently recovering. Some had been horribly mutilated by the fierce kicks of other tortured beasts, and the scene was like the aftermath of some fearful battle. It was a mystery what herbage had caused the trouble, but the stoekmen agreed that it was most likely the fuchsia bush, which was growing in some parts around. As a test a bullock was given some of this to eat, and it was dead within ten hours, which fact is accepted as a proof that this was the cause of the trouble. There are many kinds of "poison country” in different parts of Australia, and such experiences are not rare when strange country is being travrsed.