The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-07
THE PRINCE OF wALEs,s Bos.
Their Account of a Kangaroo Hunt / the
Wilds of Australia.

"AAuS u <AuStTailds
Extract from Prince Edward and Georges Diar,
June 21-Breakfast at 7:30 A. NJ, and st,ted
Immediately afterwards, some riding and olers
driving, for the kangaroo aunt. In the first 1--WE
EDDY shot two kangaroo, a right and left sot.
George shot three; they are IN such large nm
Ders here that, although their skins make ap-
ital fur, it is customary to cut off only teir
thick tails, which make excellent soup, and lave
their carcasses on the ground. There wereots
or duiachles, which are smaller than a brown
kangaroo, and are grey haired and red-headd,
these do not strike the tail on the ground in IN
nlng as the kangaroo appear to do. There re
pits In the corners of this one paddock with
alone consists Of 800 acres) into which the kan
CARGO are driven on all sides by 200 blacks md
many whites mounted; as they came bounding
and leaping along they seem to have great diff
Guilty In turning, and never attempt to avoid aly
person or obstacle that may be in their way, hut
go straight for it, whatever it may be, even if it
ends in their being capsized. A great many, of
course. did not fall into the pit, the majority
/ breaking back through the line of beaters. Thre
| were two pits, however, into which a good may
jumped, and out of these one joey was tahn,
and a little baby kangaroo out of its mothGs
pouch. The kangaroo are very destructive to
the sheep runs by eating the grass, and multiply
at a great rate; faster than they can be Rpt
down. On this estate, which consists of 10000
acres, there were 4, 200 kangaroo killed asst
year; each tail, which is worth about slxpence is
given to the keepers. There were lots of Wild
turkey dUOuU, lOF a. ID d fOuSn COullIy WI
round, though it makes an excellent sheep run.
We had lunch in the bush-English park-lke
land, wooded with gum trees and shee-oaks, 40
underground, only rough grass-making q fire
and cooking our own meat Mr., Bowman
showed US how to make Bushman's tea, boiling
the water first in the billy, putting the tea on
the top and then the sugar, stirring it up with a
stick. After lunch we rode after more kangaroo
on horseback. You can ride a kangaroo down
after about two miles in the open; WI got twelve
in fhic TTciOo kanOap00 hounds Ahn1t
fifty or sixty more were taken. The dulachies
and wallables leap and bound with their tails off
the ground; the kangaroo seems to use his as a
lever. No kangaroo, unless by accident, in
ground with the tail. The tail balances the
animal. When standing or moving slowly in
act of feeding, the animal has the tail always
touching the ground. The Australian horses
are very quick tc turn, and when the bride is
merely pressed against one side of the neck, or
when the slightest hint is given by the pressure
of the knee, they are around in a second. And
it is the same in driving. 1t was quite aston
ishing to watch the way in which Mr.. Bowman
handled his pair and whisked the wagonette IN
and out and around the stumps and fallen trees,
and all over the scrub, and coming home kept up
abreast of the g~alloping horsemen. Through
the grass of the open there are broad clearings
cut for roads, which reminds one OF the rid
ings" in the woods at home; this is done to check
bush fires.
The sound of a lambs bleat reminded one also
of England, where to-day is the longest day,
though here it is the shortest in the year. The
sky is leaden, and, though there is no frost, there
is a feel about the clear air like a black winter.
After dinner, which was at 6 P. NJ. we went to
see a korrobboree, where the black fellows were
encamped, at a short distance from the house.
There were two tribes of these, and about 200 of
them in all. They were painted with white and
black streaks across the face and chest, and got
up in correct style, with skins, and spears, and
boomerangs, and by the light of the fires which
were kindled in a circle around they looked suf-
fciently hldeous. The tribes danced alternately,
and the watchwords of their songs appeared to
be half English, half native. Agreatdeal of the ac-
at the same, so as to cause an echoing thud with
their feet, One OF the repeated actlons was
to cause the muscles Of the leg and thigh to
culver simultaneously from toe to stomach In a
| most extraordinary manner. AT the end OF each
figure they brought themselves up sharp with a
strange, deep-toned sound, half. hurrah, halt
grunt: ''Wir-r-r-wuh!" They would then
wheelright across the inclosed space in line, and,
chattering as fast as they could, upon the women
who were sitting on the ground, and also singing
a sort Of chorus of a few notes; the line would
then wheel back, break up into twos and threes,
brandishing their short sticks and clubs over
their heads, each man vociferating quickly tC
his mate, and then all of a sudden these incoher
emit sounds would all coalesce together into q
chorus, and the band, again united, would cause
the ground once more to vibrate to the reiterated
cadence of their stamp.