New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-25

sanctioned by the Act OF 1851. In an"tl IL af
a sauatter had a pa hdock containing mn, 10, VI
stua bulls A man selected in tho heart OF 'nr p.J
dock and the day after his application was chtt'Tf
the bulls for running on his land. THIS also was
strictly legal OF course extortiOn Ill TINS CASE do
in the other, was the object.
A great drawback to the development oil 'ie
colonies is the kangaroo. The extraordinary III
crease of this animal during late years IS one Oh .
most curions phenomena of the antipodes and the
"marsupa plague it is called, is the suoJec. Vi
endless complaint aud discussion. 1t is dispu'eu
opestion whether the enormous multiplication OF
kangaroos is I've accounted for by the destruction
of the native wild dog or the rapid decrease OF inc
aboriginal tribes the stoppage of the bush hres'
which used to sweep vast districts; but II is GER
tain that the overwhelming tide of animal iie,
LAYING bare the land which II passes, anu
threatening to GUST the sheep and cattle no'"
the runs, is an enormous evil seriously anec''nS
the value of property. On one rum III '"o
stanhope district. it was computed tha'
there were at least 10000 head OF mar
supal animals every of which will eat as mucn
as sheep. On n run in Queensland visited py. MI
Inglis, there were 10000 head OF sheep and the
owner had destroyed more than that numper Oh
kangaroos A description of grand kangaroo pat
tue in which our author took part is written WIN
the zest of a true sportsman. "The battue when
Joined the party" he says. "had been going on Tor
about six weeks There had been on an average
from twelve To fourteen guns at work daily, anu
the astounding total of 10000 odd OF these desruc
tive and useless animals had been bagged indeed
had the very young ones and badly wounded oeeh
counted the total would certainly have exceeueu
90 600. The battue was grand success inc eN-
element intense the sport of its kind most excel
lent A few passages from the narrative OF these
GLORIOUS days" are well worth reproducing;
OF marsupias there are many varieties he
q oil man is the old grizzly veteran of n hundred
fights He is generally of ruddy brown or grlI-
lied gray color and with his powerful hInd claw
can rip up dog q. horse ana IS a dangeious t I
the females are called Mammes," and the young
ones in the pouch Joeys." The color OF the,
,yallaroos" is bear tful sable black. and they
inhabit the stony ridges. The "wallables have
pretty gentle-loOking heads, and are of all coiors
| ranging from pure white albnos creamy, Iyen-
| der gray and red to dar gray. The iiyers are
generally light gray they hop along Mt tremeh-
| dous pace, and are very difficult shooting.
The shooting party take their places i'll line and
wait quietly while the beaters, mostly blacks ana
halfcastes, mounted horses which can climb ike
| coats and gallon like demons drive up the game,
with terrific yelling and the cracking of whips:
The sounds slowly and gradually draw nearer.
| Then an old man" verita bile tough old noundne
| imsf kecpiing beyond range. After him comes
| black old wallarOO He is coming right up 10 you
when your next hand nelgh3or VIII DIS ro the
| inQ gun levels the deadly hail. and over TOLLS iile
{ "walIaIoop taken from your very teeth. Now
they appear in twOs and threes over the ridge. iou
have ample time to watch their every m0uoh iuo9
cock their ears for the sounds of the heaters be-
hind eisurely lick their forcpaws, nlODc NJ a Sult
of grass, and then jumG ON Il lew Pafes Iu,riuci,
! Crack goes the gun to your night. over t0pples.
aver ., the rest hop about in truly comical Devil
derment. One comes your way. Bang GOES GOES you You
| niece and Won score your first kangaroo ne rest
nov fairly frightened, bound along, aud the guns
| 90 bang bang. down the line ms cach snoo'el eGts
his chance. The firing in front mas alarmed 1l,e
| advancing mob. Not for long however. On cones
the bowling line of heaters like the reinoiSeIGSs
| march of fate On right and left burst lorth INC
| lets of flame The ground is dotted with neao ana
| diving Yeu are warming To gour work. lCu nave
| vet time to watch yOnr neighbors shooting IN
dividual incidents have yet time TO eaten the etI
| INT now The heaters are nearing the crest OF tue
! ridge and like an advancing Hood, the tlde OF kan
| garoos flows swiftly you. You cannot iire iast
enough. Before behind on every sue ,me mad
| evcitemenf No time now to watch Your neigh,
| Dor. On they faster and faster Your pio 94
is fairly up aud for once in your HE you Ieel th9
| fierce uncDnstrained delight of the successful
| hunter. i, NJ cu;o a ooro
for none of these things" but sportsnen vii
understand me- The sport Is decidedly better than
partrilgc or pheasant shooting ~ III It's way equal
tc n drive after black buck or hog-decr ana lhe
| man must have a slu9gards blood indeed WHO does
NOT warm up into genuine burst OF excitement as
a kangaroo beat reaches ITS cuIihhitlhg molnent,
and very effort is all too weak to stop the torrent
of bounding game that passes before You ~,
Let me again describe one glorious day. men
orr line is formed, we have generally gOod i0n1
timc &c wait for the advent .of the heaters. tbs,
horses are tied up 10 trees III rear OF tc llhe ana
an occasional movement may be hearu iIonl tlelI
| nrighborhood. A magpie or hock OF CRIMSON
breasted parrots may dart rapidly past; Few
small birds twtter and hop about otherwise no
sound disturbs the oppressive silence. Lng men
| recne against their tee, with hat cocker, over
| their ewes or book in hand. You can even detect
the sound when match is struck, as SPINE inVet-
crate smoker, tired OF .ihaciol' 'aAos i'iso " '''
soothing weed. ,,, . .l,
thunn 4 solitary old man kangaroo. all I'M
conscious of danger, is approaching you ~ siehdy
pace The echoes of the rocky gully ring AGAIN as
you discharge your piece ana our llse ";
fonnIes over before yOu scattering the stones area
sticks and leaves in his death agony. Far 10 inc
right another shot echoes back your own. Every
one is now on the alert. Shots ring out AT inter
walls. ON the slope before YOU and along the crest
| of the ridge, You see numbers or marslplaiS' III
groups. in clusters and IN dusky lines nopPnig apGu'
| in utter and comcal bcwlderinent Inc cries
and shouts of the bcaters the cacklg OF the STOCK
hins and thunder of the horses hoofs now come to
| vour ears carried by the wind over the Tlqge
| irbere is n rush of frightened animals past. You
are too excited to take steady aim hut blazo away
nd,havo the modification of missing. Better luck
| next time You load as fast AZ you can -,
; On come the lines of bounding kangaroos without
! cessation You are fairly warming to youI
You are getting your eye III; iI1 ei,''G fo :"
! your ncghbOr; you fire to right, lcit-lh ron
and behind as some terrified =" flyer" breaks tn,
line. Occasionally sharp patter OF shot against
your tree overhead, cutting oil tWlgs ana leaves
reminds Won for moment that your nelghb0r II
not very mindful of his line OF fire. and that the
r clement of danger is not wanting to the sport.
The heaters are now plainly visible, dashinl
hithrr aud thither with shouts and frantic ges
: lures as the quarry try to break back On come
1 another rush of black /" wallaroos" and walla
LiesD The firing is incessant. 1t is intensely eX
citing: shoulders ana arms are tired and at lengtl
YOU are almost glad to the last terrified kangaroo
20 bounding madly over the ridge behind you. M.
: The ripple of conversation chat and JolhtN
, now freaks ont afresh and each vics with the othe
in making up for his enforced silence during tn
| IN
j | remonut our horses and converge together whcl
The ears are counted. slit up and thrown away am
then on again. at rattling hand-gallop; over gun!
and creek through grassy bottom and down ston.
s steep till we are placed again for the next beat
4 | AZ midday we camp beside some water-hoc" TO
II lunch, dinner as II called Each man ms III