Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-01-06
WONDERFUL rRAoKsRs.
A Horse Thief ia. No Chance with the
ul.ck Rows In AustratiA.


A Horse Thief ia. No Chance with tho
Hack hoy. In Australia.
The senses Of hearing, sight and
smell possessed by the black people OF
Australia nro very acute, and they are
excellent trackcrs, though In this ne
conplishmcnt have known them OK
celled by white men. On ono occasion
we were running the track Of some
horses which had been stolen, and near
rundown found ourselves on II large
plain about four miles from tho Lach'
Ian river, for which we started, intend
ing to camp on Il that night and fol.
low ON tho trail In tho morning.
As we rode on, one Of our black boys
suddenly pulled up his horse and spoke
excitedly to his mates, then announced
that he "smolt smoke" and turning
ut right angles TO our line OF march
cantercd oil over the plain In the direc.
ton of clump Of timber, nearly two
miles TO windward Of US There, sure
enough, we found our horse stealers,
horses and all. The thieves not ven.
turing TO camp on the river, had III a
small fro In the clump, the smoke
from which our sharp noscd 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
great deal said about the vices of the
white man and disease introduced by
him. II 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 Is
very scarce article, and there is u
stringent law against It's sale TO black
native. Nor have they been killed oil
by srch diseases rs measles, which have
destroyed so many thousands OF the
kannkas Of the South Sea Islands
The young men die OF Of pulmonary
complaints. They enter IL service Of
some squatter Us stock riders, live the
life and wear the clothes, and avail
themselves OF the same kind Of shelter
as the white man with whom thcy Ms
soclate. Then suddenly they are sum
moned OF by the elders Of the tribe 10
rome assemblage, some coroboh OF
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 10
an agreement on date marked by the
moon, to resume their civilized habits
they look starved, many have hack.
ing coughs and the seeds Of bronchitis
and pleurisy arc sown, which carry
them oil with great rapidity. Having
become used to clothing, they cannot
bear the shock Of u return TO their old
naked, exposed camp life, yet, hardened
us 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 RECEIVERS easily from
terrible flesh wounds, using his favorlte
remedy, little dry dust, and seems
curlously insensiblo to paiu. The arms
of the tribes vary somewhat, especially
in the shape and make Of the hoeloman
or shield. have never seen bows and
arrows or slings among thcm, The
spear Is the chief weapon Of war, and
varies considerably in shape and form.
The jagged spenr Is about ten feet long,
made Of hard, heavy wood, with terri
BILE barbs. like nshhooks, carved out
OF the solid or glued on with eucalyptus
gum. Once In mans flesh nothing
can be done but to break oil the Jagged
head and push It right through the
wound.
On the coast many OF these ugly
weapons are burbed with the sting OF
the ray or with fish bones They ART
thrown without the womcra, or throw
Ing stick, or Used at close quarters,
The celebrated boomerang Is certainly
one OF tho most extraordinary weapons
invented by man.-London Field.