Part 12
Now that the country and what to expect has become a little better known; now that it has been seen and spoken of from a cyclist's view, now that the wheelman may therefore prepare himself, it remains open for any down-town or up-country sprinter, with the three good things of which I have made previous mention, viz., good health, good luck and a good bicycle, to double up the writer's so called "feat" into very small compass indeed, and incontinently knock it out of sight into the obscuring depths of an oblivious cocked hat.
It was one of my objects to leave it so open. Nevertheless I will not take upon myself the responsibility of advising anyone to bother about having a try at the "record-smashing" business unless it be well worth his while to do so.
To be prepared counts for very much. The cyclist who is sure of his road can never imagine the weakening effect which uncertainties on that most vital point can produce. Such doubts evolve sickening, depressing, unhappy sensations which make themselves felt more acutely than do the mere bodily disablements associated with hunger and thirst.
I knew next to nothing of the country, and made it a point to make but very few enquiries about it before I travelled up to have a look. I knew nobody in it, and from the day of my leaving Adelaide to the day I arrived at Sydney, I met no one with whom I had been in any way previously acquainted.
* * * *
I have in no case named those with whom I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted on the track for the reason that had those names been written it would as frequently have devolved upon the writer to expatiate on matters by right concerning only the men themselves, and besides I but seldom indeed questioned anyone about his business.
I have no material, therefore, out of which to "work up" on the weakness of slight acquaintanceships, the usual traveller's series of semi-biographical impertinences, even were I so minded.
But the following-named gentlemen are well-known, and I feel especially grateful to them for they all in one way or another befriended me:--Mr. Mat Connor, Mr. Harry Gipp, Mr. James Cummins, the Messrs. Louis Brothers, Mr. Coulthead, Mr. Gunter, Mr. Heilbraun, Mr. Wallis, Mr. Campbell, and police officers Bennett and Kingston.
From what I have already written it will go without further emphasizing that to the ever-courteous and obliging assistants and officers in charge at the various inland telegraph stations I have cause to be and am grateful also.
* * * *
The only wheeled vehicles I knew, or now know of, as being in the country, besides the bicycle, after leaving Alice Springs, were those under cover at the Telegraph and Cattle Stations, and a buggy at the sheep camp, between Tennant's and Powell's Creeks.
There are no camels north of Alice Springs, except when a caravan travels from the latter place to Barrow's or Tennant's Creek with the yearly supplies.
* * * *
Yet, in this land where the bicycle is but imperfectly known one may pick up some bright knowledgeable notions in "improved bike" building. An "additional strengthener" suggestion came from a man who had been inspecting my mount as it stood against a wall with the interlocking gear closed, and thus of course kept perfectly straight. He said to me--"See how strong the back part of the machine is compared with the front," and his "notion," soon forthcoming, was that it would be an improvement if two more tubes were added: These to run, one at each side, from barrel bracket forward to the front fork extremities, back stay style.
As I had no desire to make enemies I admitted the front-fork-to-crank-shaft-bracket stay would undoubtedly be, as the inventive person remarked, "a strengthener." "But," said I hesitatingly, "As the most agile brains in all the world have been at work for the last ten years or so intent upon thinking out improvements in bicycle construction, I fear there must be some and (although to us perhaps unapparent) objection to the innovation."
At another place I had casually remarked upon the fact of the bicycle's handlebars having turned in the steering socket when I fell somewhere (thus, by the way, saving other, more vital parts, the sharp shock.) That this movement should have occurred appeared to a listener, as it will to many people, to indicate a grave fault, if not danger. "Why," he exclaimed suddenly, but after much cogitation, "to provide against that happening would be the simplest thing in the world"--by drilling a hole through the front tube where the maker's name and trade mark were (in my case, where they were not, because I had scratched both off) and then driving a strong pin in! I told him I didn't want the fault rectified.
It surprised me to find how extraordinarily anxious people were about punctures. It was "What would you do if you got a puncture?" until I came to hate the word. Very few had much thought of the consequences of a broken crank, fork, tube, shaft, or rim. But I believe nearly every one who hasn't a bicycle lives in constant terror of that dreadful bogy puncture.
I was made re-acquainted with descriptions of many of those wonderful leverage-chains, improved brakes, and puncture-proofing devices which work so emphatically well in print. One invention very much in favor was an inner-tubular arrangement--"quite a simple thing--made up of a hundred or so sections or distinct chambers, like an endless string of stumpy sausages." It was so obvious that when one sausage had lost all of its stuffing and collapsed, the other ninety-nine would yet remain for the utilisation of the wheelman!
Of such were the humors of the trip.
If the blacks I met with were not quite so wild-mannered as I could have feared or hoped for, it was through no fault of mine. Neither was it for me to rouse them up with a stick, or go hunting for some others less mild-mannered.
As I have said, if I heard of a white traveller anywhere, I did not try to dodge him. If one will but consider how I spent time and money in searching for a companion before starting (it was only because I was forced to, that I started alone), one may perhaps find excuse for me when I confess to feeling rather glad whenever I met or heard of there being a white man on the track.
* * * *
And why was the journey made? As was said long ago, I wanted to do _something_ before I was put out of sight and mind. Had I merely wanted to dig out a few sovereigns for the pockets of cycle or cycle-part makers I should have adopted other methods. But I sincerely desired to do something for Australia, and it seemed to me that this would be the most effective means in my power of making the inlands better known, and of arousing some interest in our heritage in the north. Two or three knew of the desire; and no sooner was the task accomplished than on a day in June I wrote this letter to one of them:--
"SIR,--Now that the matter has passed very nearly out of my hands and risen beyond me, I wish to formally assure you ("formally," for hitherto I have spoken the words, as it may have appeared, but lightly) that everything I have done in connection with my recent bicycle trip has been mainly with a view to advertising the Northern Territory--a country which it is my hope to see, in the near future, looked upon and referred to no longer as a costly, cumbrous and unremunerative "White Elephant," but rather as a strong and healthy, though over-sleepy youth, whom, on awakening, something had aroused to manhood.
"I have allowed to slip by opportunities of making fair money (of which, sir, I thoroughly appreciate the value) which I might have earned by accomplishing the journey in hard-to-be-improved on time; but I preferred this rather than do aught to defeat the end I primarily had in view.
"A declaration in public to that effect in the past would, perhaps, have savored of boastfulness or presumption; it may, indeed, perhaps so savor now. So certainly also, a few months ago, would any announcement of my intention to cycle alone across the continent. Hence my silence, lest my own ambitious purpose should be frustrated. That purpose is now being well worked out.
"It will make the Territory known: that, sir, you know, was the ground upon which I sought from you and the Hon. the ---- the favor of those highly-prized signatures in my voucher book, which you both granted me. And that, as it was the ground on which I approached you, was the main prompting to do the thing I have done.
"I thank you once more for having obliged me, and remain, sir, your most obedient servant,
"JEROME J. MURIF."
ADVERTISEMENT
It was an "ELECTRA" No. 6 (price £22 10s.) which carried Mr. Jerome J. Murif successfully and without ANY SINGLE MISHAP OF ANY KIND through his memorable trip from ADELAIDE TO PORT DARWIN. On arrival of Mr. Murif at Port Darwin this bicycle was examined, and we append below the reports furnished to Mr. Murif:
To Mr. MURIF. Port Darwin, 30th May, 1897.
Sir--The general condition of your "Electra" from a mechanical point of view is of such a nature that, as a practical man, I would not credit the statement that it had been used for the purpose of crossing the Australian Continent had it not been for the authentic records which you carry with you. It is undoubtedly a HIGH-CLASS MACHINE.
THOS. N. MESSENGER, Foreman Locomotive Works, Port Darwin.
CONDITION OF MR. J. MURIF'S BICYCLE, ELECTRA, No. 58,160.
Port Darwin, N.T., 25th May, 1897.
WHEELS.--Steering and Driving, both 28 in. "Dia." In true track and line. Running central between forks (front and back) freely, and without movement to either side when revolving. Coming to the full stop only after many lessening pendulum-like vibrations.
RIMS.--Undinged, and if re-enamelled, would appear as new.
SPOKES.--Everyone taut, bright, and alike, NOT A BEND OR SIGN OF STRAIN IN ANY.
CRANKS.--At right angles to shaft in main bracket. No signs of ever being bent, injured, tampered with, or disconnected since coming from the shop.
SHAFTS.--UNBENT, as indicated by TRUE running of wheels.
FRONT FORKS.--Undinged as new.
BACK FORKS & STAYS.--Same as front forks.
FRAME.--RIGID. NOT A HAIR BREADTH OUT. Top, Bottom, Diagonal, and Steering Socket Tubes being all in true lines.
CHAIN & GEAR WHEELS.--Show LITTLE or NO SIGNS OF WEAR. All gearing RUNNING WITHOUT JAR, and every bearing working as SMOOTHLY as could be desired by the most fastidious critic.
WEIGHT OF MACHINE.--Without mudguards, brake, or tools, 28 lbs.
GEAR.--20 teeth on sprocket, 9 cogs at hub.
We, the undersigned, have made a CAREFUL INSPECTION of Mr. MURIF'S BICYCLE, and we can vouch that above CERTIFICATE is QUITE CORRECT.
HIS HONOR JUSTICE DASHWOOD, Patron N.T. Athletic Association.
W. V. BROWN, President. CHAS. E. HERBERT, Vice-Pres. PERCY G. BRYANT, Hon. Sec. & Treas.
+It was an "ELECTRA" likewise which Mr. B. JAMES used on his trip from MT. MAGNET (Western Australia) to MELBOURNE; distance, 2,600 miles.+
ELECTRA CYCLE DEPOT, 259 Collins Street, Melbourne.