The Land of the Hibiscus Blossom
James Hume Nisbet (1888)
Country of origin: Australia
Available texts by the same author here
XXXIV. A Prospecting Expedition.
AT daybreak next morning the Nora was once more under way, and before very long they had come abreast of one of the many natural rifts or gullies which split, in a zigzag fashion, the mountain through which they were penetrating. These gullies were doubtless the effect of a series of eruptions and earthquakes in the unknown past, rounded off by countless centuries of water-wearing. A mighty crack this rift looked like from the deck of the Nora, with huge strata exposed in irregular confusion like the blasted sides of a long-disused quarry, covered up in parts by vegetation where the layers or accumulations of débris allowed vegetation to take root and flourish in that prolific warmth of atmosphere.In the valley of this gorge a vast assemblage of great boulders and stones were scattered about, making a series of waterfalls and foam swirlings as the stream leapt over the high places or twisted about the separate rocks and stones, glittering snow-like where the forenoon sun--rays fell down upon them, and looking cool grey in the violet shadow.
They could look up this glen for about half a mile only, by reason of its turnings. The morning haze still hung, gauze-like, over it, and gave to it a fairy-like look of light, particularly as from every bough and division of leafage seemingly hung thick hammock clusters of spider-webs, swinging from glistening threads like glass-blown fibres stretched out and interlaced in the open spaces.
A soft, suggestive picture all this, after the first framing of boulders and greenage in the direct foreground! The scene melted away into light tones of purple and warm greys, with the dew-hung webs like filigree--work done in frosted silver and with polished edges; the whole seemed alight with blazing diamonds.
The Professor had in a way explained his intentions to Hector and Collins, appointing them to guard the vessel during his absence ashore; and as it was quite a customary thing for some one or other to take these occasional excursions, they felt no surprise now.
Niggeree came up from his berth with his customary complement of war implements at his belt, a brace of Colt's revolvers, with a bag of spare cartridges, a small cutlass, and, slung over his back, his fifteen chambered Winchester; he was going ashore with his friend and seemingly thought it well to be prepared against the occasion.
"Don't you think, friend, that you are somewhat heavily equipped, considering the hard climbing before us?" said the Professor, who contented himself with a single revolver and a small sheath dagger. He carried in his hand a light geological hammer.
"So long as I don't grumble at the weight of my baggage, you needn't," responded Niggeree in a surly tone.
Another moment, and they stepped ashore a few yards from the mouth of the stream, and had begun their march.
The Professor went first, with Niggeree a few yards behind. With his usual politeness he had offered to the Greek the precedence, which, however, the other declined, and so they passed on their way into the haze, wending round the boulders where they could, and climbing over others which they could not avoid.
For the first few yards, owing to the intense sultriness of this breathless hour of day, a frightful sense of oppression weighed upon their limbs, the veins rose upon their arms, and their heads throbbed as if they would burst, while their skin burned with a dry fever and seemed to be distended and prickling all over--a moment or so of intensest agony, then instant relief as the perspiration broke from every pore, saturating their light flannels; they could now toil on with ease and comfort.
A fatiguing journey from the beginning, even while the defile was open enough to allow them room for climbing along its margin, but increasing in difficulty as they advanced, for the stream rushed close to the sides of abrupt cliffs and wall-like precipices, so that it became a constant struggle, either with the current, which, although shallow, swirled about their legs with a force almost enough to draw their feet from under them, or else with the rough rocks which they clung to as they clambered over the many different leaps which the torrent took in its tumultuous passage down.
They could not speak much to one another as they struggled on, the noise of rushing water filling their ears; besides there was the necessity of saving their breath for the labour of climbing.
"Tough work!" observed the Professor, getting astride a large stone and resting for a moment.
"Rather!" responded Niggeree, taking a perch on another mass of rock close by, and wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
They had reached a part of the ravine where the Nora was shut out by a turn of the overhanging cliffs. Above rose walls some hundred feet in air, with trees at the summit meeting from both sides and shutting out the sky. Before them lay nearly sixty yards of comparatively level stream, with another small cataract of about six or eight feet, terminating their line of sight with the same rugged background of broken up rock and bush.
At their feet lay a deep sleeping pool of bistretinted water, protected from the general rushing current by some immense basaltic boulders which had fallen over one another and made a kind of bay. It would require an energetic spring to get from their present rest to the next mass close to the stream.
As they sat silently resting and looking down they could see yards below the surface, but not far enough to reach the bottom.
"A good spot for a bath, friend, don't you think?" said the Professor.
"If there is nothing besides water there;--let's try," replied Niggeree, and, suiting the action to the word, he broke off a small piece of dry wood near at hand and cast it downwards.
Instantly a commotion took place in the pool, at which Niggeree brought his rifle to the point.
"I thought so," he observed, firing off quickly a couple of charges as the long snout of an immense alligator darted up; "I have spoilt that fellow's idea of fun."
The still water became in a moment like a whirlpool, dashing up against the sides of the rock and becoming stained with a ruddy tint, shortly to subside as the great body slowly rose to the surface and floated belly upwards, with the short legs and claws outstretched and bent.
"Not the safest bath in the world, Professor!"
As they still looked upon the carcass two great jaws appeared by its side, gaping and closing with a snap upon the dead body, and in another instant it was dragged below the surface.
"That's the proper way to use a dead mate;--it's the old boy's wife, I expect, taking him down for the young one's dinner."
"Nature is very merciless," responded the Professor gravely.
"Nature don't like anything to be wasted, you mean," retorted the Greek. "He's no more good in the way o' love, but he isn't bad to eat, so good luck to the female who can make the most of her husband while she has anything of him."
On again they went, scrambling through the water and up the sides of stones, until after about an hour they had reached a part where occurred another diverse rift which seemed to stretch into the heart of the mountains to the right, while the stream led onward towards the left.
Between them and this aperture rose a sheer wall of rock of about twenty feet in height, cracked and ridged in all directions.
"I should like to see what lies beyond this wall if we can get over it," said the Professor. So, after taking a breath, they at once began to climb.
A much harder task than any they had yet attempted this proved to be, for, at the best, they could only insert their toes and fingers between the crevices, and had to feel for the next crack while clinging on with all their strength.
It was a task which only determined men and good climbers would attempt. Both got out their knives, digging them in where they could, and holding on while with their feet they frantically and blindly struggled for a footing, with their muscles straining and veins starting out with the effort.
A few feet would be gained, then the knives would give way, and back they would fall against the boulders which were scattered about the bottom.
Niggeree was the surest footed, and, after many a slip, managed to reach the top, and clutch hold of an overhanging branch with which he drew himself up, even as the Professor made his fifth slip and now lay on his back looking up helplessly.
"Chuck me up your belt, Professor, and I'll fasten it to mine and be able to reach you," cried Niggeree from the top.
The Professor unfastened his leather belt, and pitched it up, with which Niggeree hooking the two together, and holding on to the branch leaned over, reaching to within four feet of where he now stood.
Another scramble up, and he catches hold of the end dangling near him, and then slowly works his way up to where the Greek lay.
"A stern pull, friend, and I hope we have no more of that work."
"So do I," panted Niggeree, as he unfastened the belts, and put his on again.
They were now inside a dried-up watercourse, composed of loose sand and brownish-looking basaltic boulders of all sizes and shapes, some lying detached and rounded, while others were piled against each other like rounded castle-walls.
The sides of the mountain were of the same character, great walls split up as if by earthquakes, with dark fissures opening up, half concealed by dense masses of foliage, knarled trunks, and roots wreathed about the stones like vast snakes.
The sunlight poured over the place where they stood, but further on the beetling cliffs seemed to meet over-head, and to close in the passage.
The gully led upwards towards this dark vista at a steep incline, so that as they stood they reckoned themselves to be over three hundred feet above the river.
"Friend Niggeree, if there is gold to be found in this land it ought to be here, let us pause and examine."
The Professor bent down, and passing his hand amongst the sand raked it up; as he turned over the first few handfuls, the Greek watched them filtering down.
As it ran between his fingers the sunshine, streaming over it, flashed on a number of minute specks.
"I thought so, my friend, it is here for the washing; let us follow up the course, and see where it has been sent from."
They went along slowly after this, turning over stones out of which scrambled many a strange insect monster--centipedes, white and deadly-looking, scorpions, which waddled away like crabs; they paid little heed to the alteration of scenery in their eager watching of the ground.
At times the Professor became diverted in his gold searching when some new species of the insect world was exposed; at these times he got out his case from his knapsack and paused to secure the prize, Niggeree going on it front.
At one of these pauses, he looked up to see the other a good way ahead; an evil gleam came into his dark eyes as he saw this, while he muttered,--
"Ah! you are eager to find the gold for me, my friend; the alligator is a good precedent."
Niggeree had swooped suddenly down at that instant, picking something up, and with a half-glance behind, stuffed it hurriedly into his pocket.
"What have you found?"
"Nothing," replied Niggeree, going on, and kicking at the stones as he went.
They had now come to a part of the gully where the rocks seemed to close a couple of hundred feet above them, shutting out the daylight, and leaving before them a vast, cavern-like aperture.
A gloomy, Dantesque scene, with columns--masses of rock piled up--and long rope-like roots of trees dangling down from the crevices above and running along the ground until they found a hole in the earth below.
They seemed to face one of the gateways to the Inferno.
The daylight penetrated for some yards inside over the rugged sides of the walls and the confused masses all around. Beyond that, deep impenetrable blackness lead into the centre of the mountain.
"We must get a light."
Niggeree with his knife cut off a length or two of the dry roots, and gathering some of the scrubby, sun-bleached bushes which clustered about their feet, carried them into the cavern mouth.
Then he bent down and struck a match, and set the wood on fire.
"What was that?"
He started back as he spoke, and looked into the darkness, as a loud hissing broke on the silence.
"Snakes!"
Along the floor glided an enormous serpent, not less than twenty feet.
As it rose to face them Niggeree fired his Winchester, blowing the head right off and raising a thousand echoes, which vibrated along for about five minutes until lost in extreme distance, while at the report a perfect cloud of bats and flying-foxes hurried out, with dazed eyes, and casting down an avalanche of dust, which drove the two explorers into the open, coughing and choking.
"Are you going any further?" asked the Greek, as he recovered himself.
"Certainly, my friend, this looks like an adventure."
"And tastes like one also," replied the other, spitting on the ground.
The firewood was blazing up inside by this time, and glaring up the sides of the walls, while they could hear the sounds of legions of bats retreating backwards.
As the Professor spoke Niggeree went forward and held his links of roots to the flames, where they quickly caught fire, and sputtered as he held them.
"There's your torch for you; let us cut some more down and go on."
Each secured a bundle of root-ends, and holding the lighted one, pushed forward.
"I hope there is no more of that chap's family about," said Niggeree, as they went on.
"Try to get the next one whole if you can," replied the Professor, thinking more upon his specimens than the danger.
Onward through the blackness, only dimly lighted up, they went, tripping over stones and running against bigger masses, sometimes having to leap across ugly fissures which yawned across their path, yet never thinking about the going back, impelled by the curiosity natural to explorers to see what lay in front.
The upper portion was lost in darkness, as the links only served to illuminate a few yards round them.
They have lighted fresh links, which are resinous and easily kept alight.
For about a mile and a half they went on, when all at once the ground took a sudden dip, into which they stumbled before they were aware and dropped simultaneously upon their knees, groping eagerly in the darkness for their links, which had both fallen from their hands and lay sputtering amongst the sand.
"Quick, the matches," cried the Professor, in an impressive voice. And Niggeree strikes a match and once more sets fire to the torches.
"Ah! gold at last."
Yes, it was there unmistakably, in dust and water-worn nuggets, as much as they could wallow amongst, washed into this natural pocket or depression of the ground by some far-distant watercourse, and cleaned from the débris, which had been driven further down.
A natural cradle in some mighty past. The accumulations of ages had been forced into it from the earth above and swirled about by the dashing water until the heavy lumps and grains had been deposited clean at the bottom, while the flood bore the lighter dirt out of the water-worn basin; it lay clean and to their hand, to lift and carry away as they could.
The two men for the first few moments looked at the treasure with stupified eyes, oblivious to one another and all around them; they seemed as if they were alone in that place and unconscious of each other.
Round them the great blackness hung, which the two torches, now stuck upright amongst that glittering dust, hardly lighted, the two men stood with flaming cheeks and lips apart.
Gold more than enough for twenty men, more than they could carry away in forty journeys!
And out of the darkness in front came a dull roaring, which neither of them heard in their excitement, the roaring of water falling from a great height and into a vast depth; the muffled roar of a subterranean waterfall.
With a gasp Niggeree awoke, and began to stuff his trousers pockets and inside his shirt with the precious rubbish.
"Hold!" cried the Professor, darting forward and seizing him. "It is my discovery--it is all mine!"
"What! you cursed thief, ain't I to have my share?" And Niggeree caught the Professor by the throat.
"No, only one can claim this prize."
"Then I'm the prize-holder," cried the Greek; and in a frenzy they both closed with one another.
They were both powerful men, well matched, and both for the time madmen.
It is no uncommon frenzy, this gold fever. Once a friend of mine coming to England had as a fellow-passenger a lucky miner. He had converted his pile into sovereigns, which he wore constantly round his body in a belt; sleeping and waking he never took it off. One day, near the tropics, they saw him come on deck and take his belt off, which he opened, and deliberately poured the contents overboard, afterwards jumping after them.
Another digger, one of three who had been working a hole for months, drew to the surface a large nugget; he looked at it a moment, and then dived down the hole, breaking his neck at the bottom.
They were both well matched as far as strength lay, but Niggeree was hampered by his Winchester and his weight of gold-dust, which got into his way and tripped him up as they wrestled and fought together.
Now up, now down, rolling amongst the riches, they had fallen over the links and stamped them out, so that it was a battle in the dark.
Out of the gold vein and backward they struggled towards that sound of roaring water, with their ears filled with curses as they hit at one another and rolled about.
Niggeree is under now, and the Professor has got him by the throat--closer--he is gasping for breath, and his hands slightly relax.
With an effort they are both on their feet, but the Professor has not relaxed his mastiff grip.
"Ha!" The Professor gives his enemy a sudden pitch forward and he is free, standing waiting on the next attack from his unseen enemy.
But Niggeree does not come again, and the Professor collects himself and listens intently. Niggeree has the matches with him, so that the Professor cannot strike a light.
Then he hears that sound of rushing waters, and a great horror comes over him as he listens.
What is it? He drops on his hands and knees and goes forward in that fashion, feeling carefully one hand before another as he creeps.
Three hand-lengths it is a solid and smooth water-worn rock, inclining slightly upwards from the gold bed; but at the fourth stretch his hand suddenly dips down into vacancy, while upward float cold spray--vapours, which chill his very soul as they damp his tangled hair and soft beard.