The record-union., 1894-06-20
AUSTRALIAN BUSHMEN.
They Prefer Roasted Pythons, but
Like Black Meat.
Cannibalism Still Practiced-They Do
Not Fancy the Flesh of White
Men-Too Salty, They Say.

Never have black fellow behind you
is a proverb in the Australian bush. The
bushman's first business in life is to eat
and it matters not whether he eats white
or black flesh, serpent, cattle, kangaroo
or lizard-only that it is flesh.
OF course, the flesh eater has tastes, the
more epicurean the more varied his car
nivorous education. He eats the flesh of
white men under protest. He prefers the
flesh OF his own sable compatriots
White mans flesh, he will tell you, lay
ing his hand on his stomach with a sug-
gestive expression of disgust, is TOO
salty"
The black eats no salt upon his food,
and after time even the white explorer
of the Australian bush learns to relish
larvae, kangaroo steaks and snakes kid
neys without the addition of salt. In this
way he gradually renders himself more
palatable to the natives. 1t is a mistake
10 suppose that human flesh is the daily
diet of these cannibals, for in truth, they
are rarely so lucky as to procure NOR
sci of their favorte food. The man who
stands highest in the estimation of the
various tribes is he who is most expert
fellow seldom kills one of his own small
tribe for food, SO he has TO content him.
self with eating his enemies or such of his
friends as die a natural death.
Snake bite and disease impair the quail
ity of this flesh, and in the tribes where
il is eaten it is usually left to the
women, VINO are not considered worthy
to eat the superior delicacy of the flesh of
murdered men. The natives firmly be-
lieve the kidneys to be the seat of life,
and they not only aim at this vital spot
in lighting, but prefer it to any other part
for food, for not only is the flavor to their
liking, but in this way they insure all the
strength and prowess OF their victim pass
ing into their own bodies. The women
are, i'll the main, the providers of food,
and the hideous old women learn witch
like cunning in snaring and bringing to
camp game, and even at times the pre-
cious ''talgoro'' (human tlesh) itself.
The commoner kinds of food, such as
wallaby, kangaroo meat and lizards, are
cooked by throwing the flesh on the live
Goals. When a crust is formed the ma
! tives snatch the meat from the fire and
gnaw off the scared surface. and then re-
! turn the raw part TO the Goals. No mat
ter how large the game or how much
there may be of it, it is very unusual for
particle of it TO be left for another time.
! The lean bodies of the naked blacks
swell under the strain, but they continue
to gorge themselves until the last bone
has been gnawed and the last drop OF
grease has been lick ed from their hands.
sort OF barbecue method is used in
| preparing the rarer meat of the cattle,
! python or s-talgoro." ~ hole is dug in the
! ground and 1iIed with fire and small
! stones. When the stones are almost red
hot the fire is dug out and the flesh is
/ packed in and covered with fresh leaves
and then, with the hot stones, the whole
J is topped off with layer OF earth, which
keeps in the steam and flavor of the
/ slowly roasting meat.
The python's great length of from ten
/ to twenty feet, makes tan unwieldy crea-
ture to roast. The natives coil him down
| into q ring, as sailors flemish down"
their ropes, and fasten the ring with vege-
table fibers. It is then possible to roast
/ it in large hole in the ground. 1t is a
curious picture to see the natives squat
/ ting about the fire, their mouths open
| with greed, waiting for the buried flesh
/ to be roasted. They seem to know by
/ instinct when it has cooked enough, for
all together lean forward and tear open
the mound and bring out the great, coiled
serpent.
! A black jerks from the snakes head the
jaw bone, with which he Sits open the