Page:Life and Adventures of William Buckley.djvu/38

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LIFE OF BUCKLEY.
15

pany with my companions, one of them took with him the gun I spoke of, as having been brought with us from the encampment; indeed, I must here state, that if I omit to place any very precise details, in their particular order, I hope to be excused; because, so many years' wanderings must have impaired my recollection—except as to the more prominent and material incidents of my life.

At this spot I remained more than a week, perhaps it may have been two or three, for I seem henceforward to have lost all record of time, except by the return of the seasons, and the rising and setting sun. With such luxurious living, for one in my situation, I soon recovered my strength, and be assured, I did not fail to offer up fervent prayers of thankfulness to the God who had hitherto sustained me, and for his support under the other trials and sufferings, to which I might be subjected. At this place it rained very heavily during a whole day and night; being the first that had fallen since my wanderings commenced, but I found a cavern near the beach, and in it I sheltered myself very comfortably. At length, being sufficiently recovered, I resolved on resuming my journey, and by keeping along the beach, found abundance of fish, but very little fresh water—the streams being all salt, or brackish.

In two days I came to a large rock, about a mile long, which the natives call Nooraki. It is sheltered by very high overhanging land, so that the sun seldom shines upon it, the tide apparently never receding from it, as the depth of water seemed to be always the same.