The Portland daily press., 1893-02-25

L&f& -1&3Se2N III CdCu tIlU0 VI
m band. There is
dW a law against the
CASTING THE BOOMER aborigines leav-'
ANG. ing their coun-
try, but the English authorities, like
those in this country, do not care to
see great many things.
A large number of Chinese were re-
Gently imported into that section as rail
road laborers, but the railroad scheme
was abandoned and SO were the Chinese.
The bushwhacking war between the Chi
nese invaders and the bushmen is deci-
mating the ranks of both. The bush
men fight for double purpose-to drive
away the invaders and to get food. The
cannibals relish the dead body of a Chi
naman much better than that of a eau
casian, because the Celestial has not SO
much salt in his composition. They can
stomach opium laden meat, but abhor
SALT
The civilized English and Americans
who dwell along the seacoast have intro
duced tobacco, whisky and other vices
Of civilization, and the cannibals, wear
ing only small cloth around their loins,
come in from their jungles to the ranches
and beg tobacco and whisky. They sell
their boomerangs and spears and pur-
chase these civilizing influences. They
have little idea of the value of money,
estimating it according to the size of the
coin, and will give one coin, big or lit
tie, for piece of tobacco.
Their only baggage and property are
the boomerang, spear and shield, and
they go from place to place as the spirit
Of hunger moves them. They generally
flock in tribes of so or 100, electing a
king. They remain in a section Of coun-
try so long as the game lasts, unless a
rival tribe drives them away. If it is
section Astounding in game and streams
where there is good fishing, they must
fight to maintain It'll When food is scant,
they kill and eat each other. But this
practice is not so common of late, since
American and English .'squatters" have
been hocking into that section and jump
ing the best lands. However, after
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 s feet in length, pointed
with sharp bone in the shape of a fish
hook. When the point enters the body,
it cannot be drawn out without tearing
the flesh and increasing the wound.
They stand at a distance of 80or 100 feet
and throw the spear. Each warrior has
a bundle Of spears on the ground at his
right AS he throws one he "hands"
himself another by picking 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, because 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 instru-
ment, which he holds in his left hand,
fitting over the thumb as an artists easel.
Their small black eyes are quick to
see, and nothing seems to escape their
observation. Their method of surpris-
ing an enemy is to wade into a small
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
and using the stem as 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 them they would also see
spears hurled at them.
They can remain under water two or
three hours at a time, according to the
breathing capacity Of the stem. They
hlso use this stratagem for the abduction
Of women from another tribe, but the
more common practice is for the man
who wants wife to go and steal her
while her master sleeps. The Australian
hborigine sleeps as stone. The abduc-
tor will take rope made of native grass,
creep stealthily to where she lies sleep
ing by Che side of her master and, cow
boylike, throw the loop Of his rope
around her foot or head. Usually she
does not make an outcry or resistance,
knowing doubtless that a change in
ownership cannot be for the worse.
Should the husband overtake the fleeing
couple fight to the death takes place,
and the survivor has the woman. This
perhaps leads to pitched battle between
the tribes, for il a woman is stolen OF
man killed the tribe to which he or she
belonged must revenge that wrong.
A man has as many wives as he can
paf and keen and 10 ,oY,4&nua11v fiphtino