Sharp County record., 1880-04-29
HUNTING THE KANGAROO.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Chicago
Tribune writing from the interior of
Australia says:
/ will make, if you please, a slight
sketch of a kangaroO-hunt The kan
garoo, as is well known, is found only
in Australia and Tasmania. Its means
of locomotion and defense are so pecu-
liar, and its swiftnesS so great, that the
chase of it is attended with excitements
and dangers wholly unique. The hunt
inc the fox in England is over compar-
atively smooth ground and moderate
sized fences, with well-trained horses;
while the kangaroo has to be chased
over new country, full of holes covered
with wild grass, over bitches, fallen
trees, amongst trees and their branches,
on horses that have no superiors in the
world in speed, and whose power in not
lost in civilization. Then the dangers
that you are TO encounter when you
overtake the kangaroo, though not in
reality extreme, are as great as those
met in the tiger-hunt as usually con-
Quoted, while in the latter you have not
The excitement and danger of the chase.
The place where | write is about
two hundred miles from the ocean
shore. on the banks of beautiful riv-
er, shaded with eucalyptus trees. These
trees are the natural growth of the
country, cover large part of it, and
are believed, both here and in Europe,
to so destroy malaria as to be sure
guarantee against fevers of all kinds.
The cOuches are examined before retir-
ing at night, to see if there are any
snakes in them; but none are found. A
native, with two women, is camped on
the shore near by. Their camp is
half-circle of piled-up logs, three feet
high, while on the open side, towards
the water, glares brilliant fire, light
ing up them and the darkness with
lurid, fantastic savageness. These ma
tives resemble the African more nearly
than either of the other four of the hui
man races, and come without doubt
from that stock Their hair cannot be
strictly said to be either hair or wool,
but most nearly resembles the latter.
They are of good size, dark brown, we'll
made and don't incumber themselves
with much clothing. One of their
weapons of war is the boomerang, and
it is curious affair. 1t is made of very
hard wood, three feet long, four inches
wide, one inch thick at the center, and
bends edgeways so as to make third
of circle. With the hand they are
said to throw this implement one hun
dred and fifty yards, cutting off the
head of an enemy, and having the
weapon return to the feet of the send
er. / have seen it thrown that distance
and return to the person who threw it.
The full grown male kangaroo is
called "boomer," and is about seven
and half feet long from his nose to
the end of his tail-the tail being about
three and half feet of this, and one
foot in diameter at its base. He lives
on grass--sometimes invading the fields
of the frontiersman and eating up all
he has. He stands on four legs when
feeding, and at no other time. His tail
is full of powerful sinews, but it is used
only to assist in the equilibrium while
sitting, standing on the toes and run
ming. In sitting posture he is about
four and half feet high; but when he
stands on his toes to survey the coun-
try or an enemy he is taller than
man. He has soft, gazelle-like ex-
preston, but the white teeth CLEAN be-
tween the open lips. His color is
brown, tending in age toward red or
gray, according to the species. They
weigh (the male) from one hundred
and fifty to one hundred and seventy
pounds each. The meat tastes some
what like venison, but is not very
good, though the tail makes excellent
soup.
The female is under six feet in length,
and is different somewhat in appear
ance from the male. The young, when
born, are only an inch long, and are
first seen nursing the mother in the
pouch in front, where she carries them.
They remain in this pouch till they are