Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-25
A KANGAROO HUNT.
A Day of Intense Field Sport in Aus
fr..Ii

The local paper some days previously
contained the following advertisement
"Roll up! Roll up! Roll up! Neigh
bors, friends and strangers. Horsemen and
footmen, with guns or without, to meet at
the Homestead, on the 25d of Octo-
Der, for kangaroo Drive. A welcome for
everybody. Bring pair of blankets, if
you've got any. If you haven't, we'll find
you some. Plenty of tucker, guns and
ammunition Roll up, boysl Roll up p
Such an invitation in New South Wales
finds ready acceptance, and for two days
before the one appointed, horsemen, by
twos and thrces, might be seen vending
their way through the bush to s., the
lessee of which run was famed, far and
wide, as thorough-going sportsman and Il
liberal employer Our contingent went all
together, and an animated scene the home
paddock presented when we arrived at our
destination. A similar sight is not to be
seen every day in the Australian bush.
More than 800 horsemen, armed with every
conceivable variety of gun, from the forty
year-old shooting-iron of Hollis to the last
thing of Greeners, and mounted on every
conceivable variety Of animal, from an al
most unbroken colt to a Suffolk punch
Beside, there was small army Of men on
foot to act rs beaters. 1t was a glorious
day, but, of course, after a twenty-mile ride
we felt like a little refreshment, and there
was no lack of it. Huge rounds Of beef,
cheeses like iray-wheels, and great buckets
Of tea, hot, strong and sweet, disappeared
ike magic amid much laughter fun and
chatting
Next morning, up with the first Cry of
the laughing iackass, just before daybreak,
a wash in the creek, breakfast, and a swig
of Martelrs palest, and the fun commences,
Stations are allotted to all the parties by
our leader along both sides of the gully
the whole length of it. Old hands at the
game generally lie down, because, in the
excitement, bullets and swan shot fly round
rather too close to be pleasant. | looked
sharp out for my eis-d-Cis, and discovered
one of the rankest 'new chums" it has
been my fortune to come across. One OF
those gilded youths who are sent out here,
now and again, with lots of money and no
brains. Heavens knows what they come
here for, unless it is to be made a laugh
ing-stock through the colonies. They
haven't a single idea except themselves,
and their speech.ais generally limited to
Haw! Ell ! yeth ~ There opposite me,
stood this particular specimen-admirably
got up for the Bush. Velvet knicker-
bockers, nothing less ankle-jacks that, |
could see from where | stood, were pinch
ing him horribly as he rested himself first
on one foot then on the other, like 3" native
companion" gazing meanwhile intently up
into the trees from under the shade of a
little stiff black biilycock. Seeing that
this gentleman was handling brand-new
revolving rifle, | lay fiat down behind Il
tolerably thick stump. The beaters could
now be heard at work, the cracks of their
whips and wild yells and shouts making
the bush ring again.
Soon half dozen "fying does came
hopping down the gully, thud, thud, thud
on the hard ground but they never
reached so far as our position, but fell VIC
tins to n dozen shots from the other side
the rule in these cases being Gas it is well
known the marsupiak on entering a gully
will attempt to make for the scrub, on one
side or the other for the shooters only on
the side they make for to fire. This less
ems risks of accidents, which, however,
frequently occur. Thicker and faster now
rolled the living tide of kangaroos walla-
roos, wallabies, and all their relations,
large and small, encoElpassed between two
walls of sportsmen, raining ball and shot.
OF course it was a massacre; but it was
badly wanted Remember, each kangaroo
is said to consume the grass Of five sheep a
day. We had not expected such a drive
as this. for the wide gully was literally
choked from side to side with the jumping,
swaying masses.
The velvet knicIerbockers | could see
dimly, now and again, through the clouds
of smoke; and continuous crack, crack,
from that quarter, accompanied by the
whiz of bullets past my head. warned me
not to stand up vet. The heavy rush was
over, and the firing slackened considerably
but the new chum continued to blaze away
as fast as he could put his cartridges in
and discharge his piece. He had by this
time got from the scrub nearly out into the
middle OF the gully, and there he stood
firing, Lut seldom hitting anything; pco-
pie ali around singing out and swearing al
him-to no purpose. He evidently meant
to pot biped Of some sort, if not kanga-
roo One Of the latter, a very big old
man." at this moment entered the gully,
and, running the gauntlet of few strag-
Cling shots-for guns by this time were
getting hot and ammunition scarce-he
made straight for our friend in the knick-
erbockers, who valiantly stood his ground,
and discharged four shots nearly point
blank at the seven-footer one only
grazing his check or jaw. The sting OF
the bullet made the cold man" 50 savage,
that the next moment he had Blue
Brooches, breech-loader and all, in a
loving embrace, and was busily engaged in
doing his best to disembowel the unlortun-
ate Mr. Y with his long, sharp hind
claws. To do the chap justice, must say
he behaved WELL and, though horribly
scared and pinioned as he was, he kicked
and struggled with all his might; and, as
some one afterwards remarked, Never SC
much as let yell out Of him" Oil came
the yelveteens aud billycocll; the former
strewing the ground with long strips, and
the latter entangled in the cold mans y
long claw, to which, perhaps, our new
chum owed his escape with only a few
| nasty nips; for men came running up tc
, him from all sides, and the savage old
brute got his skull knocked in with thI
stock of a rifle, while his opponent, re-
leased from his grip, stood ruefully survey.
ing himself, and wiping off the blood and
dirt from his legs, now quite denuded o.
their civilized covering.
Lots of fun WIS of course poked at him
but one choleric old gentleman, with Il
very rcd face, read him sharp lecture on
his shooting exploit, winding up with
"Confound You, sir. You shot at me :
dozen times. ! couldn't get chance t
shoot kansaroos for watching You. Pity
your mother didn't keep you at home, in
stead of sending you out into the worlt
with six-chambcred rifle, which you list
as if it was child's toy"
However, fresh clothes, few bandages
and half lumber Of ''three-star' some
what consoled poor X for all thi
rough usage-esperial because the "olC
man" was skinned on the spot and tn,
pelt presented to him as 4 trophy, whicl
attention he Acknowledged with, ''IIaw
yetb, horrid brute! nearly stwipped me
SO glad no ladies, you know Il speed
which was received with great laughter, i
was said 50 earnestly
Well, the slain were now counted, anc
reached the very respectable total of :, 500
but lots had got away, badly wounded
many of them to be yarded in the mex
days drive. | dare say with those tina
died in the bush the total came up t,
5000. Packing up was now the order o