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Lucrezia Gabbi came out onto the terrace of the Casa del Prete on Monte Amato, shaded her eyes with her brown hands, and gazed down across the ravine over the olive-trees and the vines to the mountain-side opposite, along which, among rocks and Barbary figs, wound a tiny track trodden by the few contadini whose stone cottages, some of them scarcely more than huts, were scattered here and there upon the surrounding heights that looked towards Etna and the sea.
"Gabbi, gabbi," said the dwarf, greatly excited; and when we turned towards it "Yo-yo-yo" in approval. As we silently approached we saw two old hags flitting about, as nimbly as their aged limbs would allow, in the blazing spinifex now picking up a dead lizard, and now poking about with their yam-sticks as if in search of some rat which had been roasted in his burrow.
The gin was of no use whatever, and would only repeat whatever we said to her "Gabbi," which King Billy had understood, was wasted on her. "Gabbi, gabbi," she repeated, waving her arm all round the horizon.
"Gabbi" was just over the next ridge, he assured us by signs it was always "the next ridge" until when nearly ten miles from camp we saw a smoke rise ahead of us, but so far away that we could do no good by going on. However, he could not escape and soon gave in, and followed reluctantly behind, dragging at the rope. Walking was bad enough, but this extra exertion was rather too much.
A famished "black-fellow" after a heavy meal used to remind me of pictures of the boa-constrictor who has swallowed an ox, and is resting in satisfied peace to gorge. In appreciation no doubt of the kindness shown them, some of the tribe volunteered to find "gabbi" for the white-fellow in the roots of a certain gum-tree.
Pleasant as our camp was we could not stay too long, for we still had a considerable tract of unknown country before us. From the native I extracted the following words, which I consider reliable: English. Aboriginal. Eagle Hawk Gunderu Gum tree Waaldi Sand Nuah Spinifex Godadyuda, * Fire or Smoke Warru * Water Gabbi * Dog Pappa
I fancy that his impressions of a white man's character will be favourable; for never in his life before had he been able to gorge himself without having had the trouble of hunting his food. From him I made out the following words, which I consider reliable: ENGLISH. ABORIGINAL. Smoke, fire. Warru or wallu. Wood. Taalpa. Arm. Menia. Hand. Murra. Hair. Kuttya. Nose. Wula or Ula. Water. Gabbi. Dog.
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