St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-17
THEPRINcE OF WALES BOYS.
Their account ofa Kangaroo Hunt In the
Wifds of australia.

Their account Ofa Kangaroo Hunt tn the
Wifds Of australia.
From Princes Edward and Georges Diary.
June 21.-BI eakfast at 7:30 m, and
started Immediately afterwards, some riding
and others driving for the kangaroo hunt
In the first drive Eddy shot two kaugaroos, a
right and left shot. George shot three; they
are in such large numbers here that,
although their skins make capital fur, it is
customary to cut off only their thick tails,
which make excellent soup, and leave their
carcasses on the ground. There were lots of
dulachies, which are smaller than brown
kangaroo, and are grey-haired and red
headed; these do not strike the tail on the
ground in running as the kangaroo ap-
pear to do. There are pits in the corners
of this one paddock (Which alone consists of
800 acres) into which the kangaroo are driven
on all sides by 300 blacks and many whites
mounted; as they come bounding and leap
ing along they seem to have great difficulty
in turning, and never attempt to avoid any
person or obstacle that may be in their way,
but 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 through the line
of heaters. There are two pits, however, in
to which good many jumped, and out of
these one Joey was taken and little baby
kangaroo out of its mothers pouch. The
Kangaroo are destructive to the sheep runs
oy eating the grass, and they multiply at a
great rate; faster than they can be kept
down. On this estate, which consists of so,
600 acres, there were 1900 kangaroos killed
last year; each, which is worth about six
pence, is given to the keepers. There were
lots OF wild turkey about, for it is wild
country all round, though il makes an ex-
cellent sheep-run.
We had lunch in the bush-Engls park
like land wooded with gumtrees and shee-onks,
no underground, only rough grass-making
fire and cooking our own meat. Mr. Bow
man showed us how to make bushmans tea,
boiling the water first in the billy, putting the
tea on the top and then the sugar, stirrin g
it up with stick. After lunch we rode al.
ter more kangaroo on horseback. You can
ride kangaroo down after about two miles
in the open; we got twelve in this way.
Using kangaroo hounds about fifty or sixty
more were taken; the dulacheis and walla-
bies leap and bound with their tails off the
ground the kangaroo seems to use his as g
lever. No kangaroo, unless by accident,
in uneven ground when going fast, touches
the ground with the tail The tail balances
the animal. When standing or moving
slowly in the act of feeding, the animal has
the tail always touching the ground. The
Australian horses are very quick to turn
when the bride is merely pressed against
the side of the neck, or when the slightest
hint is given by the pressure of the knee they
i I'D ic tha a
in driving. 1t was quite astonishing to
watch the wayiu which Mr.. Bowman handled
his pair and whisked the wagonete in and
out and round the stumps and fallen trees
and all over the scrub and coming home
kept up abreast of the galloping horsemen
Through the grass of the open there are
broad clearings cut for roads, which re-
minded one of the ''ridings' in the woods al
home; this is done to check bush fires.
The sound of lambs bleat reminded one
also of England, where to day is the longest
day, though here it is the shortest in the
year. The skyi $ leaden, and, though there
is no frost, their is feeling about the clear
air like black winter. After dinner, which
was az p. M, We went to see a korrobboree,
where the black fellows were eucamped at a
short distance from the house. There were
TWO ITlUtS VI lucSe, anu dUOul SUO vi LuSIl III
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 circle around they
looked sufficiently hidcous. The tribes
danced alternately, and the watch-words of
their songs appeared to be half English, half
native. great deal of the action of the
dance consisted in striking the ground at
the same moment, so as to cause an echoin g
thud with their feet. One of the repeate d
actions was to cause the muscles of the leg
aud thigh to culver simultaneously from toe
to stomach in most extraordinary manner.
At the end of each figure they brought them =
selves up sharp with strange deep-toned
sound half hurrah, half grunt, "Wir- TT
wuh!" They would then wheel right 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 few notes; the line
would then wheel back, break up into twos
or threes, brandishing their short sticks and
clubs over their heads, each man vocifera-
ting quickly to his mate, and then all Of a
sudden these incoherent sounds would
coalesce together into chorus, and the band,
again united would cause the ground once
more to vibrate to the reiterated cadence Of
their stamp.