Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-12-27
WONDERFUL CRACKERS.

The senses Of hearing, sight and
smell possessed by the black people of
Australia are very acute, and they are
excellent trackers, though in this ac-
complishment | have known them ex-
celled by white men. On one occasion
we were running the track of some
horses which had been stolen, and near
shutdown found ourselves on "A large
plain about four miles from the Lach-
Ian river, Tor which we started, intend
ing to camp on it that night and fol
low on the trail in the morning.
As we rode on. one Of our black boys
suddenly pulled up his horse and spoke
eXci;edly 10 his mates, then announced
that he ''smelt smoke" and turning
at right angles TO our line of march
cantered off over the plain in the direc-
ton Of a clump Of timber, nearly two
miles to windward Of us. There, sure
enough, we found our horse stealers.
horses and ell. The thieves ven
turing 10 camp on the river, had lit "A
small fire in the clump, the smoke
from which our sharp nosed boy had
smelled.
There are now but few wild blacks
left; the whole race is rapidly diSap-
pearing, as their TaSmanian brethren
have disappeared. OF these latter not
one full blooded representative survives.
The causes Of this rapid decline are
hardly generally understood. We hear
"a great deal said about the vices of the
white man and disease introduced 10y
him. If by civilized vice is meant
drinking. | do not think that any but
the very few blacks still surviving in
the neighborhood of large towns suffer
from this. In the far interior liquor j.
a very scarce article. and there is "a
stringent law against its sale 10 "a black
native. Nor have they been killed of
by such diseases as measles. which have
destroyed 80 many thousands Of the
hanakas of the South Sea Islands.
The young men die oil of pulmonary
complaints. They enter the service of
some squatter as stock riders. live the
themselves of the same kind of shelter
as the white man with whom they as
sociate. Then suddenly they are sum
moned off by the elders of the tribe to
some assemblage, some corobori or
bora. They take of and put away
their clothes and start away naked,
save a rug. into the bush. When they
return-as they will do according To
an agreement on "A date marked by the
moon. 10 resume their civilized habits
they look starved, many have hack
ing coughs and the seeds Of bronchitis
and pleurisy are Sown. which carry
them of with great. rapidity. Having
become used 10 clothing. they cannot
bear the shock of a return 70 their old
naked. exposed camp life. yet. hardened
rs they are by exercise and great meat
eaters. they have better constitutions
than the lazy vegetarian kanaka. and
survive wounds and disease which
would certainly kill the South Sea man.
The contrast is remarkable.
The Australian recover easily from
terrible flesh wounds, using his favorite
remedy, a little dry dust. and seems
curiously insensible 10 pain. The arms
Of the tribes vary somewhat, especially
in the shape and make of the heeloman
or shield. have never seen bows and
arrows or slings among them. The
spear is the chief weapon Of war. and
varies considerably in shape and form.
The jagged spear j. about ten feet long.
made Of hard, heavy wood, with terri
BILE barbs. like tishhooks. carved out
Of the solid or glued on with eucalyptus
gum. Once in a man, flesh nothing
can be done but 10 break of the Jagged
head and push il right through the
wound.
On the % many Of these ugly
weapons are barbed with the sting of
the ray or with fish bones. They are
thrown without the wOmera or throw
ing stick, or used at close quarters.
The celebrated boomerang is certainly
one Of the most extraordinary weapons
invented by man.-LondOn Field.