I soon came to the conclusion, therefore, that it was necessary for me to hold much more converse in English than I had hitherto done; and from the moment that this curious "scare" suggested itself to my mind, Yamba and I and our children spoke nothing but English when we were by ourselves in the evening.

I cultivated my knowledge of English in preference to any other language, because I knew that if ever we should reach civilisation, English and not French would be the language spoken.
It may be interesting also to mention that one of the first indications I had that I was losing my English was an inability to _think_ in that language.
In general appearance I was now absolutely like a black, and wore only an apron of emu skin as a protection against the scrub I encountered when on the walk-about.

In the ordinary way I never had any marks upon me with the exception of these scratches.

Of course, on festive occasions, I was gaily painted and decorated, and no doubt I would have been initiated into manhood, and borne the tribal and other marks, were it not for the fact that I was a man when I came among the blacks.
It is obviously impossible for me to record minutely the happenings of every day, mainly because only the salient incidents stand out in my mind.

Besides, I have already dealt with the daily routine, and have probably repeated myself in minor details.
A constant source of grief to me was the weakly condition of my two children, who I knew could never attain mature age.