Evening star., 1896-10-24
AMONG SUNDOWNERS
How the Tramps Of Australia Live on the
Road.
Ratfons and q Bunk Can Always BE
Obtained at . sheep station
at Nikhtfal.

Written for The Evening Star
There Is a class of men in Australia who
year after year. exc out a precarious living
by sundowning." Wherever you CO.
whether near the large cities or away
back on the plains of the interior you will
meet "swagmen' or tramps, men who have
no home and desire none Living a life
careless Of any future; careless indeed. of
the present, though they may not have
seen a coin or had good meal for days
The warm climate of the colonies makes 1t
no hardship to camp out at nights for ten
months OF the year, and even in July and
August there is no severe coldness. To es-
cape the slight frosts and the lain a sheet
of bark beside dead wood fire affords all
the protection they need.
''Sundowper'' is a term originating from
the custom of swagmen making toward
station or sheep ranch at Sundown, there
to claim ratioEs and bunk in the huts for
the night. A few years ago, and even to-
day on many stations, 1t has been the Gus
tom to allow every man on the place rations
at the rate of a pound of mutton, a pam
nikin (pinD Of flour and an ounce of tea.
The custom was instituted by the early
squatters. in order to have men about the
place in case of bush fire. Later the sun
dcwners grew bold and sQuatters continued
the rations in order to placate them, in
stances having repeatedly occurred where
men who had been refused rations have
setting fire to his sheep run. AS in summer
the grass is very dry and infiammable.
great loss is always entailed by fire on a
run, and often miles of country are de-
vastated before 1t can be checked.
Outdoor life being SO pleasant and suffl-
cient to live upon being assured, great num-
bers of men too lazy to work and with no
other ambition than to live easily, took up
sundowning. The rule of the ration law
was that the station storekeeper was only
expected to give one ration per day to each
traveller. SO the sundowner makes station
at dusk. Is AFFORDED bunk in the mems hut
and in the morning gets his flour. meat and
tea and proceeds in the direction of the
next sheep station, where the same process
is gone through. Sometimes the stations
are not days journey apart, and AS he
has no right at the homestead till dusk he
loafs about or camps and sleeps under
bush or scrub till the sun is disappearing,
when he streaks for the mems quarters
with alacrity.
But If the stations are a long way apart,
necessitating hard walking for couple of
days. then his lot is not a happy one. If he
cannot prevail on some of the station
hands to increase his rations. he has 10
make one days provisions last two days
or more. and tramp on brisker. perhaps,
with a burning sun over his head and no
water to drink except what he carries in
his black tea billy.
They dress alike. generally, in a colored
cotton shirt, moleskin trousers, soft, wide
brimmed felt hat and heavy boots After
being few days on the road, they are ali
one color, even to their skin and boots.
Rolled on their back they carry their
swag. merely a roll of blankets ard
coat for rainy weather. In one hand is the
billy can and in the other the tucker bag"
In the hot summer. when the flies are trou-
Dlesome. he suspendS bits of cork from the
front nrim Of his hat. which. dangling be-
fore his face keep the pests away.
The ordinary unemployed in search of
work also goes ION the wallaby track" as
travelling in this fashion rs called The
shearer Is totally different being, a su-
rerior kind Of person, who rides one horse
and packs his belongings on another.
though he Is not above taking rations on
his journey.
How these men manage to keep a supply
OF tobacco is mystery even to one who
mas continually come in contact with them
But they are never seen without pine
knile and plug of tobacco. They are not
eIicures IN this respect and generally
smoke what Is commonly known as posts
ana raiIs-a concoction of dried cabba ye
leaves, sticks and treacle, sold as TOBACCO
al 81. U3 cents) per pound. They also
make raids, when opportunity occurs on
the dip tobacco that is used for kiiIing
the tick on the sheep.
Ihey are generally masters of rhetoric.
lney know every swear word ever coined,
ana their slang Is utterly unintelligible If
one desires to have the bread passed to him
he just says. Jerk the toke," If the mutt
ton, Giv's the 3umbuck!" When he goes
he humps Maria"
Among themselves they have a strong
bond of freemasonry. If one has pine of
TOBACCO and the casual strange '.swaygy''
he meets has none he will wiIlinply 49,
haif or hand him his own half-smoked
pipe They will share their scant rations
ana nurse one another with womanly ten
derness. When chance puts a few shillings
in their way they straightway go to the
nearest pub" and get drunk
They become accustomed to this ne
cuiiar rowing life that they seem to desire
no change. They simply walk from end TO
END or the continent, covering thousands
OF miles in the year. and rarely ask for
work. speak of the sundowner. the pro-
fesSional genuine article: for the working
man who roves in search of work does not
easily accustom himself to the hardship
and misery and is generally glad to meet
with any employment. He would rather
work than, as Henry Lawson says.
shoulder his swag and face the track
The heat and the flies. and sand;
To die, perchance, in the hell out back
In that burning barren land