The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-08
\ Kangaroo Dnttuc.

Since the small remnant left of the aborigincs
have given up the chase and hang about the
townships and depend upon the whites for food,
and the shepherd kings have destroy ed the dingo,
ksngaroos have an immunity from their natural
enemies, and their numbers have of late years in
creased to such an extent on some OF the stations
in the western district a. to render it necessary
that means should be devised for reducing the
number. With this view a system has been
adopted similar to that puraued in South Africa
to capture the wild animals of that country. A
piece OF ground OF some two or three acres in eX-
tent il surrounded with stockade IL feet high.
At the further end of this Enclosure is smaller
one of about quarter of an acre in extent, and
communicating with the larger Enclosure by
swing gate, which easily opens and shuts. A man
in command of the gate stands on an elevated
plstform. hidden by boughs, who admit the ami
mails al they APPROACH but prevents their cgress.
An opening is left in the first Enclosure Of few
yards wide, from which wings extend for about
. mile in extent on each side, which diverge,
affording mouth, into which the kangaroos are
driven and then urged forward to the stockade
enclosure The wings are formed of brushwood,
sufficiently high to prevent the kangaroos from
hopping over. Last week three battues took
place TO the westward. The last was on the
Caramut station. Shortly alters some % horse
men started from tho township. and were soon
Arthur's stations. The men then encompassed
large area of ground, and gradually headed the
kangaroos towards the mouth Of the enclosure
Eleven o'clock was the hour fixed for the gen.
ersl rendezvous at the wicket gate; the party
then mustered between 60 and 20 equestrians
The meet was graced by the presence Of several
ladies ON horseback, with the junior members Of
their families on ponies The men spread out,
formed q semieircle, and grandually converged
<.x~ra -, - Ii Al
kangaroos before them. They had not proceed
cd very far within the wings before large mob
OF kangarOos was seen heading towards them.
The kangaroos had evidently been around the
large stockAde, and finding no means If escape
had doubled back, with tho determination of
forcing their way through the approaching
phalanx of horsemen. This was u most anma-
ting scene> The kangaroos were lodging about
in all directions between the horsemen, and all
the shouting, waving Of handkorchiefs, and
cracking Of stockwhips were unavailing to turn
them back, and several hundreds thus escaped
A few were brought down by the timely cut Of
a stockwhip, and before they could recover their
legs they wero dispatched by the loaded end of
the whip. This was the most exciting and anus
Ing part OF the whole hunt. The grotesque move
ments OF the kangaroos, and the horsemen gal
Looping about to head a retreating column, made
capital sport; an occasional spill OF some one in
W inc nuu Was provocative OF laughter. JoeyS
the young kangaroos which had been elected
from the mothers pouches-were hopping about
In all directions, and were seen taking refuge
In tho brush fence. TIE hunters, having closed
up, formed compact mass at the opening of the
stookade, whites few of them entered and drove
the animals into the smaller enclosure, while
they were dispatched by being knocked ON the
head with waddles. We were surprised that we
did not 500 single tail cut off Probably there
Is no soup more delicious than that of kanga-
roo. when properly made, and it seemed lamen-
table that the tails and headquarters should be
wasted, and not boiled down for the purpose and
put into tins for export or home consumption.
We were astonished to see that the animals
were not even skinned, when we have seen sim
liar pelts realize lis. per dozen in the Melbourne
markets. The number of animals destroyed at
the three battues was close upon 1000. Two
kaagaroos computed TO eat as much as three
sheep; hence the necessity Of their wholesale
OBSTRUCTION .NA.I - EsEN tg sa1s 3 ftfRg !