Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-05-20
BLACK FELLOWS OF AUSTRALIA
They AFRO Lazy. Unsettled. and of Row
ing Disposition.

ing Disposition.
II is a fact that it is hard to teach
the Australian aborigines anything
useful They are naturally lazy and
INDECENT, unsettled, and OF rowing
disposition. They will not stay long
at any place, and if raised from their
degraded position into more comfort
able conditions necessltating the
breaking with their natural mode of
living, they will almost invariably re-.
turn to this at their first opportunity,
and the same may be said of the half
castles, who otherwise are far superior
to their sable parents and their rela-
tives.
1t is an oft-repeated occurrence in
Australia that half-caste child has
been removed when or 10 years old
to the surroundings of civilization,
has been given an education equal to
any white child of the better classes
of the community and notwith-
standing this upon coming into con-
tact with his own race has returned
to the black fellows camp, ignoring
book learning, fine linen, and the
comforts Of civilized life.
In two capacities the black fellows
have been found satisfactorv-as
crackers and in the native police. l
can only find correct expression for
their power of tracking by calling it
instinct. l have been with them
searching for men whose every trace
had been practically lost, but the
black tracker has found them in spite
of all. They are more sure than
bloodhounds. When the track ceases,
through some mysterious agency,
they seem to know where to find it
again.
In the native police they are very
useful as crackers. This police con-
sists of small troops of mounted. uni
formed black fellows under command
of European officers. They act as
gendarmes in the outlying districts
and are principally used for the pur-
pose of bringing marauding blacks to
account. 1t is not uncommon that
the up-country blacks spear the cat
tie on the station, or murder travellers
or settlers, and it is principally in
such cases that the native police. be-
come useful.
The manner in which they surprise
camp of savage aborigines is char
acteristic. Having ascertained that
they are near a camp some of them
dismount and strip to the skin. Then
they fasten their carbineS to their
ankle by means of piece of rope or
a cham and, trailing it through the
long grass, approach the camp
The unsuspecting blacks come to
meet their sable brothers, when,
quick as lightning, the, trooper
stoops, brings his carblne to a level
and sends death and destruction into
the camp.
The aboriginal thinks a good deal
more of his dogs than Of his women.
Dogs are always found about the
camp in large numbers. They are
of a mongrel breed and generally
starved to ferocity. The black fellow
In most places is polYgamist and
his wives are used for carrying every
thing from their babies to their hus-
bands weap0ns-including all their
camp paraphernalla, rations, or what
ever else they may wish to transport,
while the lordly master marches along
with perhaps a waddle or boomerang
as the only burden TO impede his pro-
gress.
But if, as in many instances, the
blacks be savage, the white men with
whom they come into contact are no
less so. The life of black fellow is
counted as nothing and the depre-
dations Derpetrated upon them by
settlers are numerous and often par
ticularly cruel.
The speaEng of few head of cattle
on station, where thousands are
grazing on the runs, has often cost
the lives of many black fellows, and
/ know of several instances where
the camp has been raided and the
women carried away by white men,
while IL is fact that there are set
tiers who have made it point TO
shoot any black fellow found on their
vast domains. to avenge some MUIR
der committed in the first place by
the blacks Californian.