The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1891-04-24

liii. AUSTRALIAN tANNll1ttt--.
difficult task, rhicns hreuuSc NJ ;Lr fYeitn1
of opposition on NY part uf the coi2nial
government against explorations III tlat
part Ut the country inhabited l5r this
strange people. | s'ti!cl. n far Is Port
Darwin in q small schooner and found.
after much d.tNcHity. eight fine specimens
" abDrI IiueS, WIN consented tn w witA
me tD he United StttteS. Hiit. Wh@u W. thc
point Of "tnburkii., i. pniic. Inspector
frustrated my plans by telling the blacks
they w0lH never rctlIrn home, which
statement 50 frightened i5"tu ti.tt they
ran away into the bnsh. $50 "..-"-
Il then sailed to TqyyrSyi!e. Queei.s.
land, and c'larlerinI another Schooner
started on 4 cruiss j took AN Interpreter
with me. We encountered difficulties and
danger iii yoins; among ,iIlTcreuttrite4
offered red hau.liserchitfs, tobacco aud
similar article. for he purpose Gf proIi
tiating them, aud ttf5@rward mpiieE,tt tney
would % to the Gnited States Il was
several weeks before could gai,G tlle CON
sent OF the people whom aftcrw;.ui eviiii-
tied in America and in Europe.
~ soek tMeFn to 1nteT. :lni Wi2i=s !hers
The matter was hr3I-ht up for discussion
in the parliament of New South Wales, be
sides being Investigated itt the Sam time
in the police court After several ,iny-'
delay the charge WAS dismissed, ard WIS
given permission to take tho naiit-e- ont
of the country, no objection heing made on
their part. A.
when found them in the bush they
were perfectly nude and in 4 most filthy
coudition-~thcir normal state The Aus
traiian tburiginea are q distinct race ut
people, and represent the lowest type of
humanity, In color they are quite is dari:
E. t..
and physical Development. They SuisiSt
chiefly on roots, heri,s, beetles, snakes, tiSE
and kauGaroos, and when they manage To
kill one Of those &uma!s will cultiuue
eating, at short intervals, Until they have
consumed every piece of the lesII. 1'nry
are especially fond Ut human ils.si.. FIRE
quently talked with my hinCliA about how
the. tscl u eut their captiye~ when AT
home
"Human flesh, they declared, was very
much like chickcn meat, but they dill ilol
fancy whit. men 5 fvsl, Il, mich rs tina, OF
black men. The former lad salty taste
probably dre to the food which white ner
eat, hut as iur Til. flesh of black men, whc
lived like themselves, chiefly on vegetable
food, they said, An, him very good lIu
man flesh hey cat almost always al night
Such Il performance is always preceded by
Il native dance called the 'corrUbi,nrce
which takes place i'll the freight Before
beginning they decorate themselves with
white and scarlet paint. \ fnvorite pat
tern is the Skeleton each rib being
marked by u broad stripe Of white paint
and a similar stripe running down the
breast and along the legs and arms. the
face being painted IN a similar fashion
The effect produced by this strange pat;
tern Is most Startling. ",%
illuminated only by the light Of the fire,
the black bodies and limbs are scarcely
visible against the dark background, SO
that as the performers pass backward and
forward in the movements of the dance
they look exactly like a number of skele-
tons endowed with life by magic power.
This effect is increased by the curious
quiverng Of the legs, which are planted
firmly on the ground but to which the
dancers are able to impart Il rapid ribra-
tory movement from the knees up, while
their clubs and boomcrangs are held in
their hands.
1.-THE latter is essentially the national
weapon of Australian aborigines, 1t is
made Of hard, heavy and tough wood, is
slightly convex on the upper surface and
fiat below and is bent at an angle of 45
degs. 1t can be thrown Il distance Of from
300 to 500 feet, and always returns to the
throWer.
''In some parts of Queensland the gov
ernment has established Il sort of native
police force, or black truckers us they are
more generally termed. Their familiarity
with the vast unexplored tracts that lie be-
yond the settled districts is remarkable,
and their ability to follow an almost in
discernible trail phenomenal. They are
employed to track white men who have
lost their way in the immense bush or for
F,I
captured men women or guide the
white police to the retreat of desperate
robbers on whose heads n price has been
set by the government
The accompanying photograph shows
three of Mr.. Cunnngham's aborignals-
one woman and two men.
JOHN C. KLEIN