EATING BROILED KANGAROO MEAT.--AUSTRALIAN SPEARS AND AMERICAN RIFLES.
The natives of Australia are remarkable for the slight quantity of
clothing which they wear, and the thinness of their limbs. Their dress
consists of a dirty piece of cloth, or skin of kangaroo, tied about
their waists, leaving the upper and lower parts of their bodies naked.
Their color is a dingy black, although what exact shade they would
represent were they washed quite clean is a matter of conjecture. A more
filthy race of beings I never saw; and if we adopt the hypothetical
theory of eminent medical gentlemen, that when the pores of the skin are
closed, and perspiration ceases to flow, the patient dies, then the
natives in Australia should, according to that reasoning, have all been
under ground years ago; for I am confident that during my residence on
the island, I never saw one guilty of ablution, or manifest the
slightest anxiety to mingle a little water with their dirt.
With grease upon their faces, filling their long black hair, shining
upon their hands, and smeared upon their bodies, they are as disgusting
a race as can be found upon the globe; and after a brief survey of their
huts and habits, men of a cleanly nature never desire to see them more.
Their limbs bear about as great a proportion to their bodies as the stem
of a pipe to the bowl; and to see them walking, is apt to suggest an
idea that their legs were never intended to carry their frames. The
latter part of their bodies presents a protuberance, even in the
youngsters, caused by their inordinate gluttonous nature, which prompts
them, when fortunate enough to have killed game, to gorge themselves to
repletion, as though they never expected to eat again, and were
determined to fill their stomachs even if they burst.
We soon saw a party of natives of this description seated around a fire,
black with dirt, and gorged with the flesh of a kangaroo. The stockman,
Smith, was busy with his team, and had declined our assistance, as he
saw that we were tired and nearly exhausted with travel. Telling us to
go to the fire and see how we liked the looks of the natives, we
followed his advice, and walked towards them. There were ten or twelve
of them huddled together in a circle, squatted upon their haunches, each
with a piece of raw flesh lying upon the ground, while other junks were
broiling on the coals, to be transferred from thence to the fingers of
those claiming them.
They manifested no surprise or curiosity when Fred and myself halted
within a few feet of them, and regarded their feeding operations with
considerable disgust. Their minds appeared to be too much occupied to
pay the least attention to outward objects, and as they poked their
burning food among the ashes, and licked their fingers, and grunted with
satisfaction, they certainly did not seem better than so many swine. At
least they were not half so clean.
"Well, of all the eating I ever saw, this is the worst," cried Fred,
after a few moments' contemplation.
"Even the Indians of California would be ashamed to look so dirty," I
remarked.
"Hullo," cried Smith, advancing with the sauce pan filled with water,
which he had obtained somewhere in the vicinity, although we could not
in the dark see any evidence of a stream. "Hullo," he cried; "what is
the matter? Why don't you sit down and join the gentlemen? Well, old
Bulger, how are you getting along?" addressing a native that looked
older than the others, and consequently more dirty.
The brute grunted, and paid no farther attention to the address; but
Smith was not to be bluffed that way.
"Let me have a chance at your fire," he said, holding the sauce pan
towards him; but the native gave no attention except to his burning
meat, which he turned over in the ashes with a stick, and apparently had
a great desire to eat raw.
"I know of a way to start him," muttered Smith. "Stand by and watch the
fun," he continued, addressing Fred and myself.
He canted the sauce pan a little one side, and allowed the water to run
over the rim, and strike upon the native's naked shoulder. The fellow
uttered a howl as though seared with a hot iron, and scrabbling away
from the fire, left the convict free access.
"There is nothing like water to start them," cried Smith, laughing, as
he put his dish upon the coals, while those who still kept their places
watched his motions with their little glittering eyes, as though fearful
they should also be subjected to a bath.
The native whom the convict called "Bulger" lingered around the fire for
a short time, as though he had not entirely relinquished all hope of
again joining the circle; but when he found that Smith showed no
indication of yielding his place, he grunted his displeasure, got one of
his companions to rake from the ashes his lump of flesh, and placing the
burning mass upon leaves, walked towards some rude huts which were built
of branches of trees and leaves of the _giro_.
"Good night, Bulgy," shouted Smith, as this latter toddled off; but the
native paid no attention, and soon disappeared within the pile of
leaves.
"You have met these poor devils before--haven't you?" I inquired of the
convict.
"For the last three months they have been camped on this spot, and as
water is convenient here, I generally manage to reach them in the course
of the night. Besides, I make them useful in case my cattle stray away;
and for a piece of tobacco not larger than my thumb they are willing to
run all day."
"Bah," grunted half a dozen voices in chorus, apparently roused to
animation by some word that Smith had spoken.
They extended their small hands, not larger than the paws of an
orang-outang, and greatly resembling them in formation and looks.
"What do they want?" Fred asked.
"They heard me mention tobacco, and now they are begging for some. They
love the needful as well as I do;" and Smith proceeded to fill his pipe,
and then coolly replaced the tobacco in his pocket, much to the
disappointment of the natives, who had followed his motions with anxious
eyes.
"Give them a piece," I said, quick to trace disappointment in their
expressionless faces.
"Not I," returned Smith. "If I want them to-morrow to run after my
cattle, I shall have to give them more, for they would not recollect
that I had supplied them to-night without compensation."
"Then I'll stand treat," cried Fred, handing a small piece of the
needful to the nearest native, who grunted, but whether as an expression
of thanks, or disappointment that it was not larger, is unknown.
The glittering eyes of the gorged natives were instantly fastened upon
the fortunate possessor of the tobacco, greatly to the injury of their
broiling meat. But the native upon whom the present was bestowed showed
no signs of making a dividend. He carefully concealed the tobacco in a
small pouch at his girdle, and after sitting a few minutes in silence,
staggered to his feet, and waddled off.
"'It is get all you can and keep what you get,' with them," said Smith,
as he watched the native enter his hut.
The water in the sauce pan at this moment gave indications of boiling,
and as we all felt hungry, we determined to have supper before
stretching our forms under the shelter of the cart. Our stock of coffee
was produced, the pork and bread unpacked, and while the convict busied
himself frying slices of the former, we soaked cakes of the latter in a
pan of water, and sliced a few potatoes to add a relish to our meal.
At length our supper was cooked; when seated within the light of the
blazing fire, we prepared to enjoy ourselves and perhaps emulate the
natives in their feasts.
"How do you like your coffee?" asked Smith, as I raised my tin pot to my
mouth.
Before I could reply, my attention was directed to a blaze that suddenly
enveloped one of the huts, and which threatened to extend to the others.
As the materials of which it was built were light and dry, but few
minutes' time would be necessary to consume it; so I started up,
intending to assist in extinguishing the flames.
"Let it burn," exclaimed Smith, leisurely sipping his coffee, and
watching the progress of the fire; and even the natives kept their
places, and appeared unmoved at the sight.
"There may be somebody in the hut," cried Fred, rising.
"Then let them get out the best way they can," answered Smith. "If these
dirty scamps can't assist a comrade, I don't see why we should bother
our heads."
We waited to hear no more, but rushed towards the flames; and our steps
were quickened by hearing what we thought was the cry of a child.
We seized the dry branches, of which the hut was built, and tore them
from their fastenings, scattering the leaves that formed the roof, and,
regardless of the heat, continued to work; the flames were too powerful
for us, and we were obliged to beat a retreat.
We were about to return to our supper, when we heard a shrill cry issue
from the hut--not aloud, prolonged sound, such as a man would utter when
in agony, but a sharp, short yell, like the wail of an infant.
"Smith," I shouted, turning to the convict, who was still eating his
supper, "there is a child burning to death."
"The deuce!" he cried, springing to his feet, and rushing quickly in the
direction of the fire. "Let us save the young 'un at any rate."
Upon the ground in front of the hut were half a dozen long,
sharp-pointed spears, belonging to the natives, and almost their only
weapons for defence or attack. We seized those, and charging on the fire
as though it was an enemy, we poked away branch after branch, until we
had made an entrance sufficiently large to admit one of us, when Smith,
reckless of the heat, rushed forward and entered the hut.
We waited anxiously for his reappearance, and when he did emerge from
the smoke and flames, instead of carrying a child in his arms, he was
dragging the inanimate form of the native whom Fred had made happy with
a present of tobacco a short time before.
The native was apparently insensible; but as Smith dragged him along the
ground, and let his body drop when beyond reach of the fire, he uttered
a groan, as though half disposed to remonstrate against being saved.
"Well, of all the lazy scamps that I ever saw, he is the worst," cried
Smith, wiping his brow with his hand, and looking towards us for a
confirmation of his words.
"At least you have the gratification of knowing that you have saved his
life," cried Fred, almost inclined to laugh at the rueful look of the
convict.
"His life?" repeated Smith; "why, if I had let him roast he would have
been much more gratified than he will be when he awakes. He is going
through with a fit of digestion now, and is as torpid as a toad in
winter. Ah, you brute, eat until you can't move another time, will you?"
The convict hit the native a kick with his foot, and then went to finish
his supper, grumbling as he did so at being disturbed.
The natives, who had retained their positions around the fire in spite
of the burning hut, and danger of their comrade, uttered a low grunt
when they saw Smith drag the brute from the flames; but whether that
expression was intended for satisfaction or regret, I was too little
acquainted with the customs of the tribe to tell. They took no further
notice of either their torpid companion or our party, until suddenly an
idea appeared to enter the head of one, smarter looking than his
fellows. He got with difficulty upon his feet, leaving his burning meat
upon the coals, and waddling towards the insensible native, knelt beside
him.
"Look!" cried Fred, suspending the operation of eating supper to call
attention to the fact. "Look, and never say that the natives are
destitute of feeling again."
Fred intended to be particularly severe upon Smith; but that worthy
merely glanced in the direction indicated, and, after a brief shrug of
his shoulders, took himself to his meal with renewed energy.
"You are convinced, I suppose?" Fred asked.
"Convinced that the lazy scamp recollects where the tobacco was put, and
is determined to rob the over-fed brute of his treasure."
We found that the convict was right, for the native, after fumbling at
the insensible man's girdle for a moment, reappeared at the fire, and
something like a grin of triumph lighted up his greasy features, as he
exposed to the admiring gaze the piece of tobacco which Fred had given
away.
Tired with our day's journey, and feeling sleepy after our meal, we soon
returned to the shelter of the cart for a night's rest; but before we
went, we were careful enough to pack up all of our cooking apparatus,
and also to place our rifles close at hand, although Smith told us that
the precaution was useless, as the natives never waged warfare upon full
stomachs.
It was long past daylight, when the hearty voice of the convict roused
us from a deep sleep, where dreams of home and comforts of civilization
were much pleasanter things to contemplate, than the half-naked bodies
of ten natives, who were lying upon the ground, circling the cold ashes,
where the night before a fire blazed. They lay like black snakes gorged
with carrion--lifeless and torpid, and nothing but repeated doses of
water upon their naked backs would rouse them.
"Go and take a bath," cried Smith, as we sat upright and rubbed our
eyes, and yawned sleepily.
He pointed to a small stream of water, ten or fifteen rods distant, and
as we thought it would be likely to relax our muscles, and relieve us of
a portion of the soreness which we felt, we took his advice, and upon
returning from our aquatic excursion, found coffee boiling, and salt
pork hissing in the spider, and potatoes roasting in the ashes.
After a hearty breakfast, we were ready to think about starting; but the
cattle had strayed to a considerable distance, and the convict
determined not to run after them, when he had aids so near at hand, who
could be induced for a trifle to undertake the job.
"Hullo!" he shouted, giving the nearest native a nudge with his foot;
but the fellow only grunted, and went off to sleep again.
Smith in a rage seized a pail of water that was near at hand, and dashed
part of its contents over the head and shoulders of the sleeping native,
who, not being accustomed to shower baths, started up with a cold
shiver, and hurriedly wiped the water from his face.
"Run and collect the cattle," cried Smith, who appeared to have
forgotten that not a word of English was understood by the native.
But a series of telegraphic signals was carried on by the convict, that
at last gave the barbarian to know what was wanted, and the sight of
half a hand of tobacco sharpened his faculties wonderfully.
He picked up his spear that was lying near at hand, and with the end
pricked into life half a dozen of his torpid companions; and although
blood flowed where the sharp-pointed wood touched, yet they bestirred
themselves very slowly, and did not appear to think that their brother
had used them any ways cruelly.
A short series of guttural grunts--for no other term will apply to
express the sound of their language--was carried on for a moment, and
then off started three of the natives to find the cattle of the convict,
which were, perhaps, half a dozen miles down the stream, attracted by
the sweetness of the grass which grew on the river's banks.
"As we shall have to wait some time, let's have a little amusement,"
cried Smith, who appeared to take the straying of his cattle in the most
philosophical manner.
"Agreed!" we cried. "What shall it be?"
"I'll make the natives show us a specimen of their skill with the
spear," the convict said, in the true style of Englishmen, who generally
think that all creation was created expressly for their service.
"Are they expert?" I asked.
"You shall see;" and forthwith Smith commenced another series of
telegraphing, and an admirable imitation of throwing the spear was not
forgotten, although, to tell the truth, even the natives did not disdain
to grin slightly at the clumsy gestures of the stockman.
They comprehended him, however, and pinning a small piece of paper upon
a huge tree, whose trunk had served many times as a fireplace for
parties of emigrants, like ourselves, bound to the mines, and by that
means had nearly destroyed the vitality of the noble cedar, the native
who had received the shower bath motioned to one of the youngsters of
the tribe to try his hand at the target.
He selected his spear, and retired from the tree about two rods; and
then, for the first time, did he appear to rouse himself, and wear the
air of a human being. His eyes, which were dull a few minutes before,
now lighted up, and imparted an animation to his face that I had not
believed possible; there was an activity and grace in his position, as
he faced the target, that proved there were some traits in their
character which would have made them formidable enemies.
The youngster balanced his body, throwing his right leg back as a brace,
and advancing his left foot, holding his spear upon an angle with his
eye, and drawing it back and forth, as though testing the strength of
his little, skinny arm, until he had apparently got the right balance,
when, with a quick motion, he hurled it at the mark; and as the spear
sped through the air, it produced a humming sound, like the noise of a
stone when thrown from a sling by the vigorous arm of a strong man.
So quick was the motion, and rapid the movement of the spear, that the
eye could not follow its flight; but we could hear the dull sound that
it produced within two inches of the mark, which was not larger than a
man's two hands.
"Well done," shouted Fred and myself in a breath; but the natives
manifested no applause, and even Smith shook his head and muttered,--
"He can do better than that; but the youngster is nervous and hardly
awake. Come, old boy," turning to the older native, "try your hand at
the business, and let's see what you can do."
After the usual telegraphing, he was made to understand what was
wanted; and taking a spear a trifle heavier than the one before used,
retreated nearly ten paces farther from the mark, and without apparently
using the same precautions for accuracy, let it fly.
It struck the piece of paper nearly in the centre, and penetrated the
tree four or five inches, quivered for a moment, but before it had
ceased, the native had snatched up another spear and hurled it after the
first. The second struck within an inch of its companion, and the united
strength of Fred and myself was necessary to draw them from the tree.
"Now let them see what Americans can do with rifles," cried the convict,
as he saw that the natives were rather jubilant over the feat of their
companion.
Neither Fred nor myself were what was called crack shots, either with
revolver or rifle; but we were fair, and had no need to feel ashamed of
our shooting. Determined to let the natives witness a specimen of our
skill, we pinned a piece of white rag, not larger than the palm of my
hand, upon the tree, discharged our rifles and carefully reloaded them
to be sure that they were not foul, and then retreated until we could
just see the rag.
The natives watched our proceedings in silence, but with considerable
curiosity, squatting upon the ground, and looking first at the target
and then at ourselves with an expression which seemed to say, "if you
hit that rag you are smarter than we think you are."
Indeed, so important did they consider the occasion, that they dragged
from the huts half a dozen women, and as many naked children, to witness
the exhibition.
I was to fire first; and as I drew a bead upon the mark, I carefully
calculated the distance, and with such accuracy that the bullet cut the
end of the mark, and carried a portion of the rag far into the body of
the tree.
"Hurrah for the rifles," shouted Smith, waving his hat, after he had
pointed out to the natives what had been done.
The crowd which had clustered around the tree stepped back as Fred took
his station. He was not so long sighting as myself, but his bullet
struck about an inch above my own, and nearly in the centre of the mark.
"Better and better," cried Smith, in tones of surprise; and when we
joined him, we saw by his actions that we had risen in his estimation,
while the natives, still squatting on their haunches, looked as though
we were gods, or beings of a superior order.
"Here come the oxen," cried Smith, after a few words of congratulation.
"We must get over thirty miles of ground before twelve o'clock
to-night."
"We are willing," we said.
"And the lameness and blisters?" he asked.
"The lameness is nearly gone, and the blisters are broken."
"Good; help me yoke the cattle, and before to-night you will taste, for
the first time, broiled kangaroo; and I'll tell you beforehand it's no
mean dish. Ge-long, ye brutes," and with hard cracks of the whip the
cart rumbled on, and we left the natives still squatting upon the
ground, and looking after us, as though wondering why we would travel
when it was so pleasant to sit still.