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44 OUR WESTERN BOUNDARY.
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level
space, where the Naiker village is situated. The inhabitants are jungle
men, who live on roots and herbs in a worse than semi-state of
wildness. The village consists of a few huts, enclosed in a square
palisade of bamboo for protection against wild beasts. Our advent was
announced by the barking of the pariah dogs, which seemed to resent our
approach; and presently a door opened, and sundry of the inhabitants
appeared, whose costume is simplicity itself, being that of pure
nature. A fine athletic young man was the spokesman. After some
preliminary conversation with our Korumbers, he prepared to conduct us
to the end of our journey.
A
short distance beyond this village, we arrived at another fine mountain
stream, nearly, but not quite so large as the Glenrock river. This
stream has its source on the Wentworth estate, some 800 feet, I
should say, above us. Here there is volume and fall enough to drive any
crushing machinery—a note to be made, for use at some future time.
Having crossed, we again ascended through more forest, and about a
third of a mile further on found our boundary stone—indicating that we
had reached the lowest part of the Glenrock estate on the right bank of
the river. On the opposite side, our property extends a short distance
still further down.
All
about here are enormous outcrops of quartz, and plenty of indications
that the natives had found it profitable to crush and wash for gold in
their
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