The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-12-11


1t has been my good fortune to see at diff
ferent times representatives Of all races the
world over Before going TO Australia in
1892 was much interested in the aborig
ines of that island continent, whom from
my reading was led to regard as the low
est savages in tine world, and | am forced
to confess that my actual experience among
them has confirmed this belief. Still in
some respects the instincts of these people |
seem superior to the reasoning powers OF
the whites, who look down on them with |
lordly contempt Let me illustrate:
One day when riding in the Queensland |
bush | came upon a party of native black |
fellows out hunting honey. Curious to
know how their methods of search differed |
from those of our own North American In
dams, decided TO stay near them and OBJ
serve.
noticed that they were ceaselessly dodg
ing about in quest of bees After short
time one of them discovered bee sucking
flower close by. He at once approached
the insect, and taking from "A pouch carried
suspended from his waist belt, which, by
the way, was his only article of clothing, a
small portion of swansdown, which had
been touched with gum, he dropped it
adrotly on the bees back.
In an instant the bee felt that something
was wrong and tried to work off the down
with his hind legs. which Of course he was
unable to do
With an angry drone the bee left the
flower and started for home as is ever the
case when these insects are alarmed
Now ! could see why the honey hunters
had brought the gummed down with them
| The bee rose up in the air Just high enough
/ to clear the tops of the surrounding trees
/ When at that height 1t would have been
difficult if not entirely impossible to fol
/ low, even with the keenest human vision,
the bee in its flight. But here the wonder
full Instinct and remarkable eyesight of the
natives came into play.
From the instant the native placed the
down on the bees back he and his fellows
never lost sight of it, which, as they had to
run like deer i'm order to keep up with it,
was no easy matter
Wishing to see the end of the hunt,
urged my horse after the party, and more
remarkable chase l never saw before and
never expect to see again
The bush or forest was beset with fallen
trees and great masses of prickly ferns AS
the natives must keep their eyes on the bee
and could not well do this and at the same
time look out for the fallen timber that be
set the path, their running was Il series of
kangaroolike jumps, iudescribably ludi
crous to myself for not being able to judge
of the size of the obstacle in front they
put forward the same effort to clear stick
& inches through that was necessary to get
over log feet in diameter
After "a Commute run the natives came
to a halt before a dead eucalyptus tree with
one of its branches broken off midway mp.
; In the hollow, which was plainly visible.
the bee had taken refuge
While was wondering how the blacks
!, were going to get the honey, one of them
seized the sides of the tree trunk, and, to
: my amazement, he walked up a. quickly
, and with as little effort as an ordinary man
ascends ladder.
why the bees did not drive him away in
: stead Of escaping themselves | could not
= make out Within very few minutes he
! had thrown down at least so pounds OF
honey to his followers at the foot of the tree
4 Good Sign.
: New stories of Sir Walter Scott are con
/ tinually cropping up, just as they are Of
! Abraham Lincoln, and am strongly of tn,
b belief that many of them have been invent
ed since the death of those great men.
f Recently heard the following story o
Sir Walter in Edinburgh and my informan
s vouched for its truth
. day when tall highlander who had beef
. building an inn near by came in and said:
= May it please you, Sir Walter, | am goil
to call my place The Flodden Inn, and a
l. we've writ poem on Flodden Field i
struck me and the guild wife that you nigh
t gle us line for motto"
t Have you read the poem'" asked 81
t Walter
a mo sir Pm ma a reader
e Then you know nothing about itY
"Nothin, but I've heert them say IA
r knows that it's vera fine thing"
We'll ! would advise you to take "A vers
# from the poem itself"
e "And what'll that bef'
e Drink, weary traveler-drink and pray.
e but my sins wull ma be a kirk, sal
, the man, land the more prayin there
the less drinkin there'll be, and ma wan
q that"
q "Oh,' laughed Sir Walter, II think
D can fix the verse by leaving out one lette
n an r."
,e "How will it be them
a. Drink, weary traveler--drink and pay.
BE Ailsie Craig, that's just the thing
+ shouted the man, and he went away d
J. lighted ALFRED r. CALHOUN