The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-16
AUSTRALIANS lsUFFALors,.
Bsw Of the Inhahitaats Knew &c Their
EHtstenec.


Bow Of the Inhahitants KAsw &c Their
Extsteaec.
Although have boon over thirty
soven years IN Australia, says writer
In the Brisbane New-Zealander, Il was
not until eighteen months ago that I
was aware that there was breed Of
wild buffaloes in these colonies, and I
venture to say That not one per cent. OF
the inhabitants Of Queensland, or even
half that number, are aware OF the fact.
Curiously enough, have two stimuli.
taneous inquiries about them-one from
Prof. Wallace, Of Edinburgh, and the
other from gentleman In Michigan,
u. 8. A. laid myself out to make full
inquiries on the subject, and It has oc-
CURED TO me that the public will be In
tercsted to know the result. Mr.. d. Il.
Purcell, who has seen several of them
In the far north, and was present at the
death OF one, gave me minute descrip-
ton Of them, which tallies exactly with
what l learned from other sources. MIR.
e. Palmer, NJ. L. A., informs me that
one OF the islands ON the northern coast
Is fully stocked with them, and isolated
bulls from the herd on the mainland oc-
lcasionnlly find their way as far east rs
one Of his gulf stations, and that sew
Hill station. In DIR. Leichhardt's Jour
nal of his expedition from Moreton bay
to Port Essington. in 1S4+5, he men
lions that Mr.. Roper and the black,
boys, Charley" and Brown" run
down and shot one thirty miles from
Port Essington, ana that they were said
to DO numerous there, and were called
by the blacks ''anaborro." Leichhardt
states that they ARE the offspring of
the stock which had either strayed from
the settlement at Rafiies bay or had
been left behind when that establish
ment was broken up. They were origi-
inally introduced from the Malay
islands WIS struck with
the remarkable thickness of their
skin (nlmost an inch), and with
the solidity of their bones, which con-
tanned little marrow, but that little
was extremely savory." Mr.. Palmer
states that the bull killed on his run
weighed almost a ton, was extremely
broad and well developed in tho fore
quarters, but tapering off in the hind
quarters.
museum, and here 1 was most fortunate
in getting information from the man
above all others in Queensland most
competent to give it-namely, Mr.. Spald-
ing, the taxidermist of the museum,
who spent many months in the center Of
their great haunt near Port Darwin.
Mr.. Spalding showed mo the head and
horns of one of these buffaloes that
made its way eastward in the direction
of Charters Towers, and was Slot there
some two years ago. Tho horns arc
most remarkable, being square ct the
butt and four inches thick. They rise
in semi-circle but incline backward,
so that the animals, when they charge,
which they do furiously, have to put their
heads between their forelegs. The
horns are extremely coarse, corrugated,
and of dirty brown color. Mr.. Spald-
ing corrobornted the statements of
Messrs. Palmer and Purcell as to the
buffaloes being very numerous-in
many thousands-at Port Essington,
Rallies bay and Melville island. A man
has been engaged for a number of years
shooting them and making handsome
income by selling the hides. On account
of the extreme thickness of hide they re.
sist an ordinary cartridge, and heavy
leaden bullets have to be used. They
are what are Familiarity known as
mud" buffalo, having very little hair
on their bodies, which arc of dirty
reddish-brown color.
1t may not be generally known that
q number OF Timor ponies were intro
iduced at Port Essington with the buffa-
iloes. These have also increased to q
large herd, and Mr.. Spalding describes
them rs exceedingly handsome little
animals.