The Opelousas courier., 1893-06-10
CANNIBALs AT THE FAIR.
@ TROOP OF AUSTRALIAN ABoRre.
INALs AT CHICAGO.
Ihe w Type of Humanity ON
Earth-rheir Principal Weapons
Some of Their Traits

manity on earth, not excepting the Cali
tornia Digger Indian. In an interview
their manager stated that they are from
North Queensland, near the Gulf of
Csrpentaria, a. country of jungles aud
teemlng with wild beasts, reptiles and
numerous ban DIS of aborigiues of from
fifty to n hundred in each tribe or
band.
The civilized English and Americans
who live along the seacoast have intro.
troduced tobacco, whisky and other vices
Of civilization, and the cannibals come
IN from the juugles to the ranches aud
beg tobacco and whisky. They sell their
boomerangs and spears and purchase
these civilizing influences. They have
little idea of the value of money, esti-
mating it according to the size of the
coin, and win give one coin, big or
little for a piece of tobacco.
Their only bag gage and property are
the boomerang, spear and shield, and
they 60 from place to place as the spirit
of hunger moves them. They generally
flock in tribes of fifty or one hundred,
electing a king. They remain in a Sec
ton of country so long as the game lasts,
unless a rival tribe drives them away.
If it is a section Astounding in game and
streams where there is good fishing they
must fight to maintain it. When food is
scant, they kill and eat each other. But
this practice is not 80 common of late,
since American and English ''squatters"
have been iocking into that section and
Jumping the best lands. However, after
q battle the victors eat the dead; in their
economy of nature nothing goes to
waste.
In battle they fight with the spear,
which is about eight feet in length,
pointed with sharp bone in the shape of
a ishhook. When the point enters the
body it cannot be drawn out without
tearing the flesh and increasing the
wound. They sta nd at the distance of
slightly or 100 feet aud throw the spear.
Each warrior has a bundle Of spears on
the ground at his right. As he throws
one he sthands" himself another by pick
ing it up with his right foot between the
toes and doubling his leg backward.
With his right hand he reaches around,
takes the spear and throws it. - This is
| Necessary, becau Sc he is busy watching
the movements Of his enemy and looking
| out for coming spears, which he lodges
or turns aside with his shield, an oval
shaped instrument, which he holds in
his left hand, fitting over the thumb as
an artists palette.
Their small, blac k eyes are quick to
see, and nothing Sc to escape their
observation. %..Their method Of su>.n.-'
ing an enemy is to wade into a snail
stream and "ambush' themselves in the
shallow bed among the water lilies.
Sometimes they lie down in the stream,
breaking off the water lily at the roots
aud using the stem as a breathing tube.
A rival tribe, ON approaching the stream
for the purpose of fishing, would sud
denly be surprised by seeing these float
ing water lilies rise up out of the water,
and with theap they would also see spears
hurled at thim.
They can remain under water two or
three hours at a time, according to the
breathing capacity of the stem. They
also use this stratagem for the abiuctlon
OF women from another tribe, but the
more common practice is for the man
VINO wants a wife to 60 and steal her
while her master sleeps.
Tue kangaroo and the m are their
most favored articles of diet. The kan
CARGO is hunted with the boomerang,
aud while he thinks he is safe in the
Jungle and pokes his long head behind a
tree in faucied security the a boomerang
thrower hurls his shar p-pointed missile
almost through its head. The emu ha:
a very long neck, aud when he length
ems it out Cking observations the bush
man from behind a tree twirls the curves
instrument, the sharp edge cutting OF
the head of che bird.
OF late the bushmen have been "spear'
ing" the cattle of tue "squatters, al
the "squatters" tovk the warpath witt
Winchester rifles, which will shoot farther
than a boomerang can be thrown, and a:
a result the population Of the cannibali
has been somewhat diminished.
The boomerang ordinarily is thrown
600 or 800 feet. It is couvex on tne
upper side aud fat below and made o.
Australian wood. 1t has bend or angle
of about forty-ive degrees. ALI Austria
liam wood Is hard, almost as solid as iron.
The ends are as pointed as a dagger. anc
the inner side is as sharp as a razor blade
Ordinarily che boomerang is take'
from the forks of limbs and roughly
dressed with crude instruments. 1t l
then charred in the fire and the burned
coating removed, after which it is sub
iected to the smoke of eucalyptus leave
to make it pliable aud to give 1t tae
nroper lateral shapJ. Expert thrower
send it 200 feet in a straight line, whel
Il bounds into the air, turns tend owe
end then aattens out like a plate spin
ninp. and after mteling a circuit OF 7o'
or 500 feet returns to the feet OF tn
thrower. Many of the throwers are lett
handed. -,
A caunibal feast is celebrated will
their corroborree or palti, a native
dance. A huge fire is built. arouhl
which the dancers circle. Ihey are
na:nted in white to represent skeletons.
Each rib is painted ove. with . stripe Oh
..h;te J white stripe of paint runs down
the breast. each leg ani each arm, ana
the face is painted with whlte slasaes
Their black bodies, IN stripes OF Whlse
o~;rcl;no around the camp fire, give
.athar startling and s~epulcara ensce