A wedding—Love among the Australian natives—My first meeting with
Yokkai—Big eaters—An accident—Left alone with Yokkai—A difficult
descent—Return to Herbert Vale—A new beetle—Friends of the
animals.
On our return to Herbert Vale after a month’s absence the old keeper
gave me an unusually friendly reception. He said he had repeatedly been
on the point of sending some blacks to look for me, as he feared I might
have been attacked by the natives.
I experienced great satisfaction in being able to sleep comfortably and
safely once more.
The next day two natives came down from the mountains and reported that
the blacks with two dogs “were killing and eating a lot of boongary up
there.” The result was that I had to be off again, and I made haste to
gather men and provisions; but the next day, just as we were ready to
start, it began to rain. I feared that the rainy season had set in, and
in that case it would be impossible to undertake an expedition. The
rainy season usually lasts from three to four months, with slight
interruptions, in Northern Queensland, generally commencing in January,
and we were now at the beginning of this month. After a day or two,
however, the rain ceased, and we started on our journey.
Near Herbert Vale I had the good fortune to be able to witness a
marriage among the blacks. A camp of natives was just at the point of
breaking up, when an old man suddenly approached a woman, seized her by
the wrist of her left hand and shouted, _Yongul ngipa!_—that is, This
one belongs to me (literally “one I”). She resisted with feet and hands,
and cried, but he dragged her off, though she made resistance during the
whole time and cried at the top of her voice. For a mile away we could
hear her shrieks. I jokingly asked some of my men if they did not want
to help her, but they simply laughed at me. There had long been gossip
about this match. What was now happening was simply the public
declaration of the marriage, and there are no other wedding ceremonies.
In this instance the match was a very appropriate one. He was a widower,
she a widow. But the women always make resistance, for they do not like
to leave their tribe, and in many instances they have the best of
reasons for kicking their lovers. If a man thinks he is strong enough,
he will take hold of any woman’s hand and utter his _yongul ngipa_. If a
woman is good-looking, all the men want her, and the one who is most
influential, or who is the strongest, is accordingly generally the
victor. Thus she may happen to change husbands many times in her life,
but sometimes, despite the fact that her consent is not asked, she gets
the one she loves—for a black woman can love too,—and then she is very
happy. It not infrequently happens that women elope with men whom they
love. The black women are also capable of being jealous, and they often
have bitter quarrels about men whom they love and are anxious to marry.
If the husband is unfaithful, the wife frequently becomes greatly
enraged. However fond a man and his wife may be of each other, they are
never known to kiss each other.
The women are more fond of a handsome face than of a good figure, though
they do not despise the latter. They take particular notice of the part
of the face about the eyes, and they like to see a frank and open, or
perhaps more correctly a wild, expression of the countenance. They pay
but little attention to a man’s size.
That these blacks also may be greatly overcome by the sentiment of love
is illustrated by the following incident. A “civilised” black man
entered a station on Georgina river and carried off a woman who belonged
to a young black man at the station. She loved her paramour and was glad
to get away from the station; but the whites desired to keep her for
their black servant, as he could not be made to stay without her, and
they brought her back, threatening to shoot the stranger if he came
again. Heedless of the threat, he afterwards made a second attempt to
elope with his beloved, but the white men pursued the couple and shot
the poor fellow.
Our first camp was in a valley far up in the mountains, where we fell in
with some blacks, who had just killed a very young ornithorhynchus in a
brook which falls into Herbert river, and here we left our horses.
The next day as we proceeded up the valley we met two natives, who had
taken part in the boongary hunt which had been reported to me. My men
informed me that these two men owned one of the dogs that had been used
in the chase and it was therefore of importance to secure the attendance
of both the men and the dog. The one remained half concealed behind a
gum-tree, but kept peeping out and laughing the whole time, while the
other man stood perfectly quiet by his side. Apparently they had never
before seen a white man in this part of the country, and could not
comprehend what business I had there. I offered them food and tobacco,
and asked if they would not take their dog and come with me. They seemed
to be very anxious to do so, this being particularly the case with the
one who stood behind the tree. His name was Yokkai. Although the dog was
with a tribe far away, they offered to go and fetch it and join me as
soon as possible, so we agreed to meet on the top of the mountain.
After a few hours’ march we came to a little tribe camping near the foot
of the mountain where we hoped to find the other dog. But after the hunt
the tribe had scattered in various directions, and I was consequently
unable to secure many men. We encamped in the evening far up in the
mountain, in order to wait for the two men with the dogs. As the weather
was clear, the natives put up a hut for me alone. The strangers, who
were perfectly savage, looked at my baggage with the greatest curiosity,
and watched every motion of mine with intense interest.
Up here I saw several nests of the beautiful king-pigeon (_Megaloprepia
magnifica_). The nest is built near the outer end of a branch, and
according to the habit of the pigeons, it is constructed very
carelessly, consisting simply of a few sticks. I never found more than
one egg in these nests. How the young keep from falling down when the
wind blows is a mystery to me. The natives, who are fond of eating them,
generally shake them down.
On the summit of the mountain there were also talegallas in great
numbers. My men found several of their nests, and dug out a considerable
number of eggs from the large mounds. While the result of my hunt was of
but little consequence, the natives were perfectly happy, and burst out
in shouts of joy every time they found talegalla eggs. Once or twice we
stopped to rest, and then they fairly gorged themselves with these large
eggs. One man consumed fourteen of them in two hours, and yet he felt no
inconvenience therefrom. It was a feast day for my men.
In the course of the day Willy procured me an unusually large specimen
of mongan (_Pseudochirus herbertensis_), full grown, black as coal, with
a bright white breast and white shoulders. He was proud of his conquest,
and expected a fine lot of tobacco. Though I was very anxious to secure
the specimen, still I told him to keep it, for I wanted to make it plain
that it was boongary I was in search of.
I soon made up my mind that these big eaters were of no use to me, and I
therefore resolved to go to another tribe to find men who could be of
service to me. On my way I met the two natives with the dog. They had
put on their best clothes. One of them strutted about in a shirt, the
other wore a woman’s hat. Articles of clothing are precious ornaments in
the eyes of the blacks, and they pass from one tribe to another, from
the more “civilised,” who dwell near the settlers, to the savages who
have never come in contact with the white man. Ere long the hat was
borrowed by my men, and several of them sported this emblem of
civilisation. One of them presented a most comical figure as he strutted
before me and perspired _in puris naturalibus_, with my gun on his
shoulders and the woman’s hat aslant on his head. I could not help
thinking of all the experiences of this hat on its long and eventful
journey from its original white owner to these savages in the mountains.
When we came down to the camp of the strange tribe, Willy’s game was to
be prepared. It vexed me to see the beautiful skin scorched over the
fire, for it deserved a better fate, but this could not be helped.
I still had difficulties in securing people to assist me. In addition to
the two who owned the dog, I secured only four for the continuation of
the journey. Willy, who was well acquainted with the “land” we were to
visit, could not be persuaded to go with us. Another person whom I had
positively counted on also failed me. He and I had gone out in the
morning in order to find the horses and ride them home, but when we
dismounted he declared that he was unable either to walk or ride any
farther, and so refused to continue the journey. I became vexed at this
ridiculous excuse, but his comrades took his side and assured me that he
was wholly unable to take part in the expedition. The blacks doubtless
suffer less pain from wounds or scratches than we do, but they are
utterly lacking in endurance and in patience, and if one of them has a
crack in the skin of his toe, he is the object of everybody’s sympathy
and remains at home in the camp.
By an insignificant circumstance like this I lost another man, so that
there were only five of us when we started. After a journey of two days
we reached the summit of our hunting district, where we made our camp.
The natives were not able to find their bearings. The only exception was
Mangola-Maggi, who had twice before been with me on similar expeditions.
He was not, however, an ideal man, but a lazy cunning fellow, whose
highest ambition was to consume my provisions. Not only, therefore, was
his acquaintance with the country of no advantage to me, but on the
contrary he demoralised the others, who were lazy and silent, and
utterly indifferent to the things that interested me. It may be, too,
that they stood in more or less fear of the white man. Nor could they
understand why a man should travel so far and have so much trouble for
the sake of a boongary. The dog kept faithfully in the footsteps of its
master and did not care to chase the game.
It was also a source of great annoyance to me that I did not have
suitable shoes. My shoes were worn out, and the soles fell off, so that
I was obliged to stop several times and tie them on with bark strips of
the lawyer-palm.
The next day I sent two of the blacks away to look after the poisoned
pieces of meat, which I had laid in various places for the yarri. I
showed them a lot of tobacco, which I said I would give them if they
came back with any game. Having been assured again and again that the
other dog, “Balnglan,” which had been mentioned to me, was the only one
fit to be used, I resolved to send two other blacks to fetch it. I gave
them a lot of meat and damper, and promised them more if they brought
the dog. I showed them my whole store of provisions, in order to make
sure of their return.
Thus I was now left alone with only one of the blacks in the midst of
the dense scrubs. It was Yokkai, the above-named owner of our dog. We
spent the day in rambling about waiting for the return of the others.
Yokkai gathered fruits and I shot a talegalla, but on our return in the
evening the camp was still deserted, not even those who went to look
after the poisoned meat having returned.
In the evening Yokkai prepared tobola, and ate with all his might. I
also ate half a dozen roasted kernels, but I neglected to beat them
before doing so. An hour afterwards I was sick and chilly, and felt very
ill. I feared I had taken malarial fever, but Yokkai at once understood
that the cause of my indisposition was the fact that I had eaten the
tobola without beating it. He was right, and the next morning I was well
again.
The four men did not return the next day, and so I was forced to the
conclusion that they had deserted me. The atmosphere was clear and hot,
but heavy and oppressive. Not a leaf was seen to stir, and the only
sound that came to my ears was the monotonous, melancholy humming of the
cicadas in the tree-tops, a sound that only served to increase the sense
of desolation. The only rational being near me was Yokkai, but it was
very difficult to make ourselves understood to each other; besides, he
was still more or less timid. It surprised me that he, too, did not find
an opportunity of stealing away. Evidently he was not sufficiently well
acquainted with these regions.
He was a well-built man, but not strong, with something almost feminine
in his looks. His forehead was very low and receding, still less so than
the average foreheads of the blacks. For a black man, he had uncommonly
beautiful eyes; hazel-brown and clear, with long eyelashes, but at times
when the light fell on them in a certain way they had a bluish tinge.
His nose had an upward tendency, and bore the marks of having once been
broken. There were distinct scars on the rest of his body. He spoke a
different dialect from that of the other blacks of Herbert Vale.
We waited and waited. Alone we could do nothing. I did not even dare use
my gun, for Yokkai might get frightened and run away.
When it became dark I had given up all hopes of my men returning. I was
left to my fate on the summit of a steep mountain difficult of access,
surrounded on all sides by dense scrubs, and thus shut out from the
world. The damp air, like that of a cellar, streamed in upon me in the
inky darkness. The only light I had came from my camp fire, and this
illuminated Yokkai’s despairing face. If he, too, deserted me, I should
have to climb down the rocks alone with my gun.
I went into my hut and tried to sleep. I then observed that my tomahawk
was not in its place, and I asked Yokkai, who had borrowed it during the
day, where he had put it. He did not know, and began to look for it.
After he had searched for it everywhere, both in-doors and out-of-doors,
and after I had given up all hopes of getting it back, he suddenly, to
my great surprise, found it in his own hut. This was rather suspicious,
and I scarcely knew what to make of it. Perhaps I misjudged Yokkai, but
I feared that my provisions—a large bag of meat—were a greater
temptation than he could bear, and I was well aware that the Australian
natives do not hesitate to sacrifice the life of a man to satisfy their
desires. Meanwhile I concealed the tomahawk, and decided to rise early
the next morning and watch him so that he might not run away.
I slept quietly that night, and rose early the next morning, and then
waked my companion, whereupon we at once got ready for the descent. I
promised him plenty of food and tobacco if he would assist me in
carrying my baggage. Strange to say, he agreed to this, and he helped me
faithfully during the whole day.
During this difficult descent I discovered that Yokkai was no common
black man, and before I reached my headquarters I had formed a very high
opinion of him. From that time he was my constant companion until I left
Herbert river, and during these many months he was of great help and
service to me; nay, he even saved my life several times, and he was at
all times faithful and devoted to me. Still I could not place full
confidence even in him, and I was always obliged to be cautious in
regard to him; for he had a flighty temperament, and I was not sure but
that his black companions might at any time persuade him to betray me,
and find some opportunity of taking my life.
Yokkai was not so lazy as the other blacks with whom I had had to deal.
Upon the whole, though active and lively, and far more frank and
emotional than the other natives, he was cunning and had a perception
quick as lightning and a good understanding. When I asked him to do
anything, he never grumbled, but was attentive and helpful, and
frequently did things without being asked to do them.
He thought the descent proceeded rather slowly, and repeatedly urged me
to quicken my steps or we would not reach the foot of the mountain
before night. But the march was a severe one. I frequently had to crawl
on my hands and feet and drag the baggage after me. Add to this, that my
boots were in the worst possible condition. Yokkai was now and then
obliged to find strips of bark with which to fasten the soles on. If we
waded across a river I had at least this advantage, that the water ran
out of my boots as fast as it came into them. Sometimes leeches would
creep in through the holes in my socks and fasten themselves between my
toes.
A short time before sunset we reached the foot of the mountain, and
having rested there, we finally arrived at the station in safety.
The rainy season had set in, but much rain had not yet fallen. Meanwhile
wet weather might be looked for any day. It was, therefore, impossible
to think of undertaking long expeditions. We might run the risk of
finding our return cut off, for the heavy rains make the rivers utterly
impassable. During this season the blacks stay on the grassy plains, and
are unwilling to visit the scrubs. The animals, and all nature for that
matter, were now one scene of restlessness. It was evident that we were
in the transition between two seasons. The birds of passage had nested,
or hatched their young, and were only waiting for cooler weather to
start for the north. The Torres-Strait pigeons (_Carpophaga spilorrhoa_)
were now very numerous, and had nests everywhere in the trees.
During the expeditions I made in the neighbourhood of the station I
succeeded in securing a number of interesting specimens for my
collection. I also shot a snipe and a white kite of the same kind as
that which I secured in Western Queensland (_Elanus axillaris_). The
blacks brought me a fine specimen of the beautiful black and white
_ngalloa_ (_Dactylopsila trivirgata_), which is as fond of honey as the
natives themselves. This rare animal, which also occurs in New Guinea,
is not found south of Herbert river.
I gathered several beautiful beetles both in the trees and in the grass.
Thus I found in the grass near Herbert river, near the end of December
1882, a beautiful beetle, a _Stigmodera_ (see coloured plate), which is
new to science. The head and the under side of the body are of a
metallic green; the thorax is nearly a purple-blue. The wing-cases are
yellow a little more than one-third from the base; the rest is dark blue
with a red band about a third of the distance from the point, the band
being narrowest at the centre. Underneath, the body has five yellow
spots on each side. The length of the beetle is one inch. I would
suggest that it be denominated _Stigmodera alternata_.
One day I observed a peculiarity of conduct, which shows what respect
the natives may have for the relations of their wives. I was walking
with one of my men in the scrub, when we discovered thousands of
flying-foxes (_Pteropus_) hanging down in long strings from the
branches. My companion urged me to shoot some of these animals for him,
though I had no use for them and did not care to frighten the game I was
pursuing; but he persisted in his request, and explained to me what a
delicate morsel these animals would be for him, especially now, as he
was so hungry. At length I yielded to his requests and shot three of the
flying-foxes. On our way home we met an old man who was returning from
the chase, and my companion surprised me by immediately throwing the
three animals to the old man, who was exceedingly glad to get them. To
my question why he did not himself keep what I had shot for him, he
replied that the stranger was his wife’s uncle. Though himself hungry,
he wanted to show magnanimity to his uncle, from whom he had received
his wife, and he was anxious to give some proof of the gratitude he owed
him. This young man had not stolen his wife, nor did he have any sister
or daughter to give in exchange. He must, therefore, have obtained her
in some other way. I have reasons for believing that certain peculiar
laws exist, known only to the blacks, according to which women even from
their birth are intended for certain men. The man who has obtained a
wife in this manner shows his gratitude to her relatives by gifts of
food, tobacco, and other things.
The weather continued to grow more variable, and in the evenings we
frequently had heavy thunderstorms. At Herbert Vale everything was quiet
as usual. The only change I observed was that the natives about the
station had become much more bold than they were before. They entered
everywhere, stole potatoes from the garden and meat from the kitchen.
They usually stole into the kitchen in the twilight of the evening, and
there took what they could find.
One evening we caught in the kitchen a half-tame opossum (_Ir.
vulpecula_). It made the most violent resistance, and wanted to get away
from us. One of the blacks then offered to quiet it. He seized it with
one hand and held it close to him, while with the other hand he gathered
perspiration from his armpits and rubbed it on the nose of the opossum.
This did not, however, seem to do any good, for the animal was as wild
as ever. I take this opportunity of remarking that the civilised blacks
have a remarkable talent for gaining the goodwill of the domestic
animals of Europe, especially of horses. No matter how wild and
unmanageable a horse may be, they make it so gentle that a white man
will scarcely care to ride so dull a beast. More than once did I get
vexed at Nelly for spoiling my dog; for she used to take it into her lap
to hunt fleas, and would keep it on her knees by the hour and eat the
fleas she found.
During my sojourn at Herbert Vale a woman offered to sell me a bird,
which she had deprived of the power of flight by plucking out the
feathers of the wings and tail. She laughed at and was merry over the
poor bird, which was unable to fly away. The natives may often appear
cruel toward animals and birds, though it is not their intention to give
pain to the game they capture. It amuses them to see maimed animals
making desperate efforts to get away. As a rule they kill the animal at
once, not for the purpose of relieving it from pain, but simply to make
sure of their game. On many occasions I observed how the blacks amused
themselves by watching kangaroos whose hind legs had been maimed
struggling in vain to get away.
Any studied cruelty toward the white men is out of the question. They do
not, like the Indians, use torture, for they are anxious to take the
life of their enemies as quickly as possible.
[Illustration:
_Cicada aurora._
]