Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-20

IN experience with the Australian blacks
which will endeavoe to give, as nearly
as possible, in the words Of the narrator:
/ was in the service of the company
that built the telegraph line across Aus
tralia from Adelaide to Port Darwin, and
after the line was completed I had
charge of one of the interior stations.
The blacks gave us some trouble, but
not much while we were building the
line; the fact was that the construction
parties were sufficiently large to give
them warm reception, IN case of an at
tack, and they prudently let us alone.
They used to come around where we
were at work, and one day the principal
man among them walked for an hour or
two along the line, making a critical
examination of the posts and wires, and
pacing the distance between the posts
Then he strobe up to me and said,
with an accent of insolence:
'sMe think white fellow one big fool"
When tried to find out his reason for
expressing contempt for us in this way,
he pointed to the telegraph line and
said:
'sThat piece of fence never stop cat
tie"
Before could explain what the sup
posed fence was really intended for, he
walked of with his nose very much in
the air, and 1 never saw him again tomy
knowledge.
Life at the telegraph station was very
lonely, as there were no settlers for
many miles, and we were only four
white men at the station, two operators
and two repairers, and one Of the oper-
ators, Mr.. Chatham, was accompanied by
his wife. The blacks came about the
place to beg; we never allowed them to
enter the building, as we did not wish
them to know how it was arranged in
side; and, furthermore, we thought that
If they were once allowed an entrance it
would be difficult to keep them out af-
forwards.
Things went on without trouble for
several months, until the blacks had a
corroboree in little patch of forest
about mile from the station Perhaps
you don't know what . corroboree is?
Well, it's wild sort of dance, some
thing like the dances among your Amer
lean indians, with local variations to
suit the climate and people. The dane
ing is done by the men, who get them
selves up in the most fantastic manner
imaginable with paint of various colors.
They daub their faces in streaks and
patches, and trace their ribs with white
paint, so that they seem to have taken
up lodgings on the outside of the bodies
they belong to instead of the ninside.
Sometimes they are entirely naked, ex-
cepting the paint, and at others they
wear strips of opossum skin around their
waists and feathers in their hair. There
are certain dances in which all the men
and women of tribe may join, and
others where several tribes participate.
These last dances are very apt to end in
fight, as the dancers work themselves
into condition of frenzy, in which the
combative spirit is likely to display it,
self.
At the corroboree I have referred to,
there were men from several tribes, and
consequently we feared mischief. The
principal building of the station was
strong block-house, and we made prepar-
ations to defend it vigorously in case of
attack. We had half dozen blacks in
our service; they came from tribe in
another part of Australia. and as the
wild blacks have great hostility for
any people of their color who go into the
service of the white man. there was no
danger of their deserving us. They would
have been killed instantly if they had
ventured near the corroboree, and there
fore were inclined to stick very close to
the block-house.
Two of our black retainers went as
near as they dared to the scene of the
dance, and it was understood that they
were to run home and give the signal in
case the dancers showed signs of moving
in our direction. The dance began q
little after sunset, and in the still night
air we could distinctly hear the shout
ing of the blacks and the sound of their
drums as time was kept for their move
mentS.
About midnight it seemed that the
sounds were coming nearer to us, and
very soon our sentinels came in breath
less, and said the corroboree was break
ing up, and the block-house was to be
attacked.
We got our rifles and revolvers ready
and stood to our posts. Mrs. Chatham
could handle a rifle or pistol as well as
any of us and signified her intention of
doing her share of the work. We de-
termined to shed no blood unless it
should be absolutely necessary, as we
were anxious to be on friendly terms
with our black neighbors-
Inc SGaG1Ou was Ia Lu0 C0uCoT VI b
clearing, so that no one could approach
it without being seen. In a little while
we saw in the moonlight a mass of dark
figures crossing the open space to the
south, and, Judging by the ground they
covered, there were at least hundred
of them. They advanced quietly about
halfway across the clearing, and then
come forward at a run, while they filled
the air with yells.
They were armed with spears and
boomerangs, and as soon as they came
within reach of the building they flung
their spears at it-a very foolish per
Torrance, as the weapons could do no
harm against the thick sides of the
structure. We made no indication OF
our presence, and this emboldened the
fellows SO that they rushed up close to
the building and began to dance in front
of It, all the time keeping up their
frighfful yells.
Bring me rocket" said to Chat
ham, who was nearest to me.
He brought the rocket, and 1 fixed it
so that it would go just above the heads
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