23rd.--Our spiritist gave us a very short and indistinct seance last
night. A man speared the other day in a wallaby hunt, near the Laroki,
he told us, was dead. He seemed to be raving a great deal, and wound up
the first part with, _Nao kuku daure_ (Foreign tobacco is bad).
Continuing to rave and disturb sleep, I told Oriope that, if that spirit
did not at once go back where it came from, I should certainly have to
make it; he reported what I said, and the spirit thought it advisable to
leave. We started this morning after a good breakfast, and had good
travelling across a fine level country E.S.E. for about four hours,
crossing several times the head of the Laroki: it is a magnificent
country for horses. In somewhat thick scrub, a youth met the first of
our party, and was fraternizing very feelingly with them: I appeared, and
he took to his heels, and no calling of friends or foreigners could bring
him back. We came suddenly upon a woman and two children, and, poor
things! they went into a terrible state; nothing would comfort them;
beads, tobacco, and salt lost their charm on them.
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