Page:Life and Adventures of William Buckley.djvu/32

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LIFE OF BUCKLEY.
9

until the morning, when we crossed the Yarra River; and, after passing over extensive plains, reached the Yawang Hills, where we finished the last particle of bread and meat that we had, not having divided our rations properly, and taken the precautions necessary to avoid starvation. Here we remained the night; the next morning, I told my companions that we must make for the beach to look for food, or death was certain. They agreed with this suggestion, and after a long and weary march we again made the shore of the bay, and finding a few shell fish, with them appeased our hunger. At a place the natives call Kooraioo, in an extensive bay, we were so fortunate as to find a well of fresh water, and here we remained the night:—the following day continuing our course along the beach gathering shell fish, until we reached a place called Woodela, signifying rock. Here we again rested, if rest it might be called, suffering as we were from the want of the absolute necessaries of life: the fish although preserving it, affecting us all very severely. The next day our route was the same, and as we saw several native huts in our journey, we were hourly expecting to fall in with one of the tribes, hunting or fishing on that part of the coast. Another day's travel brought us to a little island, called Barwal, which we could reach at low water, and here we halted several days to recover our strength, which was by this time greatly exhausted. We found about this place a sort of gum, which, when placed over a fire became soft, and palatable; on this, and fish, we subsisted. From Bar-