READERSVOICE.COM aims to give a few samples from secondhand books, most of which are out of print and sometimes forgotten. This issue features another book from an opshop in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. These charity stores are great for finding interesting books you might not hear about anywhere else.

Man from Arltunga. The life story of Walter Smith, Australian bushman by R.G. Kimber, was a 1986 biography based on recorded interviews and travels with Walter Smith from 1981-83. Walter Smith (1893-1990), was a European- Aboriginal Australian man born at the Arltunga gold field near Alice Springs, Central Australia. He worked as a cattle drover, prospector, well-sinker and cameleer. He was also a respected elder of the Aborigines of Central Australia with a deep knowledge of Aboriginal lore, survival skills and languages. Here are a couple of samples, like this one about how Walter Smith used bush knowledge to find water.

The author writes: On one occasion, with water supplies and the likelihood of travel a long way back to Ernabella if none were found, Walter found water as old Joe Brown had taught him.

“The old way again.” [said Walter Smith] “Old crow might come to your camp in the morning, early. Salt some meat up. Rub your salt in, cut the meat up in small pieces. Old crow will have a feed. You go to sit down and watch him then, to see which way he’ll fly. That’s where the water is.

“Oh, my word, the crow goes that meat. Watch him. He’ll sit down for a while. But not too long, though! Might be half an hour at longest. And then you’ll see him fly up. He’ll fly around first; gets his direction, you see, and then straight! You’ll see him dip down then. Oh, that’s where he’s going! Oh yes! Follow him up. Find the water that way.

“Pitjantjatjarra mob’s country, you find a Pitjantjatjarra track, going to the water. Or dingo track. You find a little pad. You follow that little pad, and another one comes in to meet it. And next you see a lot of natives’ tracks coming in and you know, well the water must be getting closer.”

-readersvoice.com