Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-25
Kangaroo Hunting.

Chasing the Animals with Fleet Horses Through Australian Wilds. | [From the San Francisco Chroniclel The kangaroo, as is well known, is found only in Australia and Tasmania. It's means of locomotion and defense are peculiar, and it's swlftness so great, that the chase of it is attended with excitement and dangers wholly unique. The hunting for fox in England is over comparatively smooth ground and mod erate-sized fences, with well-trained horses, while the kangaroo has to be chased over new country, full of holes covered with wild grass, over ditches, fallen trees, among trees and their branches, on horses that have no supe- riors in the world in speed. Then the dan gers that you are to encounter when you overtake the kangaroo, though not in the re- ality extreme, are as great as those met in the tiger hunt as usually conducted, while in the latter you have not the excitement and dan ger of the chase. The place where I write is about 200 miles from the ocean shore, on the banks of beautiful river, shaded with eu- calyptus trees These trees are the natural growth of the country, cover large part of 1t, and are believed both here and in Europe, to so destroy malaria as to be sure guaran- tee against levers of all kinds. The touches are examined before retiring ct night to see if there any snakes in them but none are found. native, with two women, is camped on the shore by. Their camp is half
 
 on the open side, toward the water, glares a brilliant fire, lighting up them and tho dark ness with lurid, fantastic savageness. These natives resemble the African more nearly than either of the other four of the human 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 of good size, dark brown, we'll made, and don't cucumber themselves with much clothing. One of their weapons of war is the boomerang, and is 8 curious af- fair It is made of very hard wood, three feet long, four inches wide, one inch thick at the centre, and bends edgeways so as to make third of circle With the hand they are said to throw this implement 15O yards, cut ting of the head of an enemy, and having the weapon return to the feet of the sender. I have seen 1t thrown that distance and return to the person who threw it. The full grown male kangaroo is called boomer" and is about seven and 8 half fact long from his nose to the end of his tail the tail being about three and 8 half feet of this, and one foot in diameter at it's base He lives on grass, sometimes invading the fields of the frontiersman, and eating up all he has. He staHds on four legs when feeding, and at no other time. His tail is full of powerful sin ews, but it is used only to assist in the equil- brium while sitting, standing on the toes and running. In a sitting posture he is about four and half feet high; but when he stands on his toes to survey the country or an ene- my he is taller than man. He has soft, gazellehke expression, but the white teeth glsam between the open lips. His color is brown, tending in age to red or gray, accord ing to the species. They weigh (the male) from 15O to 175 pounds each. The meat tastes somewhat 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 appearance from the male. Tho young, when born, are only an S,ol, low rpp1 frrk AI,a mother in the pouch In front where she car ries them. They remain in this pouch till they are eight months old and weigh about ten pounds, and long afterward return to it on appearance of danger. When the mother is hard pressed by an enemy in chase she throws the young one out of the pouch, who thereby makes it's escape. There are kanga- roo dogs, very swift and strong, especially adapted to hunting the kangaroo; but no ex- perienced dog will tackle one without some- body to back him. They jump about fifteen feet at time usually, but sometimes twenty or more, and their swiftness is prodigious. Nothing can apparently overtake them in a fair race, and the usual way is to practically surround them. When hard pressed they place their back to 3 tree for the fight; or, in preference, they always strike for the water if there Is any nsar. They try to seize their enemy with the fore paws, and then rip it from top to bottom with the middle claws of their hind feet, which are very sharp. If they are in the water thoy try to hold their enemy under it until he is drowned. They will always leave dog to attack man.
 At nine o'clock this morning ten men, in cludipg myself, started on horseback, with four dogs, on a chase. All were experienced in the business except young Englishman and myself. We took no firearms, & large stick being the only weapon to be used. We had no difficulty in finding the animals. It was disdained to avoid such fences as we found, and VIC jumped several of height of four to five feat, always approaching them at a full run. We divided the party, half going to each side of partly open plain. soon saw a large kangaroo and two small ones com ing toward our party. We waited until they were near enough to see us, when they made a right angle and went off ct an astonishing pace in jumps of fifteen to twenty feet in length, going from eight to ten feet in the air at each jump. We "went for' the big one, but he quickly got beyond our sight, the three having already distancad the dogs.
 The kangaroo dogs hunt by sight, like the greyhound. These three were all lost, we learned as we met at the point agreed upon. We next surrounded another large tract of forest plain and meadow, this time dividing the dogs. In few moments hundred more Kangaroo came bounding toward the party with me. The dog with started for them and all the dogs and men were at once in pursuit. The kangaroos divided into sev- eraI parties, each dog selecting one to follow,
 
 My dog went for 8 boomer, and also, in con- pany with two others of the party. The boon- CT stood up, took long look at us, and then flew. We followed him among the trees and branches, jumping logs and debris of all kinds, and across plains at fearful rate. The horses needed DO urging their blood was up now. The dog sslaid to it," but made no sound. When he would get near the kangaroo the ami nal would make jump at right angles and change his course, while the dog would shoot on distance before turning.
 After run of this kind for some distance the kangaroo started for a swamp. After reaching that, and going in a distance, he turned his face toward us, standing up on his hind paws to 8 height of seven feet, and pre- pared for battle. The dog went for him, and the fight commenced. The dog succeeded in getting hold of his tail, and was carried in the air some distance by repeated jumps. The dog then lost his hold and was seiz- ed and put under the water. Owing to my having the best horse was first to come to the dogs aid. I was warned by shouts not to approach the animal, but disregarded them and showed myself a good kangaroo hunter. The animal proved to be eight feet long, The rest of the party killed two smaller ones, and later in the day, at another chase, another large one was killed. The females do not fight, but run 50 swiftly away that they are rarely overtaken.
 D. B: Holbrook, of West Ausonia, died on Monday of eryspelas caused by scratch on the hand from rusty pai while he was cleaning barrel used for preserving meat.
 the Consolidated Railroad Oo, reserved the right to take back land enough to widen the canal 12 this interests demanding additional water power.
 special town mesting will be held at Turner Hall
 this week to provide for tho of eoent2 taa St of one mill on the dollar of the grand list and to