The Opelousas courier., 1897-12-04
AUSTRALIAN ABORlClNE.
An Untnmable Savage With the Stone
Age Habits.

Age Habits.
The Central Australian nhorlglo" IS
the living representative OF a S'"2e
voc who still fashions his spear h'a'tS
and knives from flint OF sandstone,
and performs the most daring slirglrlt
operations with them. ills ORIGIN ai!d
his history, says q writer III the A"-
vance Australian, are lost Ill 1Ae
gloomy mists Of the past. lie has no
written records and few oral traditions.
In appearance lie is a naked hlrSiEc
savage. with Il type OF Textures "%c"-
sionally pronouncedIy Jewish. lie Is
bv nature li~4ht-hcartcl, merry and
prone to laughter a splendid minnie,
supple-jointel, with an unerrlnG ha!s4
that works in perfect unison W1tl MS
eve, which is keen as that OF an et@!e.
He has never been known 70 wash.
He has no private ownership q IaAt'
except as regards that which !" net
over-careful!y confealed about his own
person. On this respect t!Ie9e IL" IN
doubtedly sonf territorial n1a%nat'S.l
He culti,&tes fothiNg, bat lives ca,
on.tl,e Apoils Of the chase, ald
N1NN1n the Thermometer frequently
ranges from 1Sdegree' 10 over 80 de-
grees Fahrenheit intwenty-tour I'oHrS,
and his country is teeminS with turfed
game. he makes no use OF the skins
for clothing, bat g~oesabout during the
day aud sleeps ii the open ut might
perfectly nude.
He builds no permanent habltatlon,
and usually camps where night or 1a.
tigue ovcrtakes him. He can travel
from point to point for hundreds OF
miles through the painless bash with
unerring precision, ana can track an
animal over rocks and stones, where
Il European eve would be unahle to
distinguish a mark. He is q keen OBJ
server, and knows the habits and
changes Of form Of every variety ii
animal or vegetable life i'll his country.
Religious belief lie las mona, but IS
excessively superStitjous living in cox.
stant dread Of al evil spirit, which i
supposed to lurk around his camp ct
night. He has no gratitude except
that Of the anticipatory order, and IS
as tIeacherous as Judas. He has no
traditions, and vet continues To nrac-
tice with scrupulous exa@tness a Num-
Der Of hi,lcous customs and ceTeno-
MES which have been handed down
from his fathers, and of the origin OF
reason Of which he knows nothing.
Outlines kind and even afectionate to
+I@-o - L., III Iu,, x-I,, 1.-, lDc,,
permitted to live, he still practices,
without any reason except that lis
father did 50 before him, the most
cruel and revolving muti!&tions upon
the young men and Maliens OF his
tribe.
Nevertheless, he is a philosopher
who accepts feast or famine without q
murmur either at the Tangs Of hunger
or the discomforts of repletion. His
motto is Carpe diem, aud when fortune
sends him a supply Of game he con
sumes it all, regardless OF tomorrow.
He is not a cannibal. No cold joint
of missionary graces his sidehoard,
and should hunger, as a penalty for
his improyident gluttony, oveItake
him, he simply ties a thin hair girdIe
round his stomach, and almost per-
suades himself that he is still suffer
lug from repletion. After al expert
ence of many years, [ say without
hesitation that he is absolutely I'M
tamable. You may c!othe and care for
him for years, when suddenly the de-
mon of unrest takes possession he
throws Off his clothing and pIurge5
into the traehless depths of bis native
bush, at oGca lcye>ting 10 his Old oDd
hideous customs, and when stated, after
months of ~privation, he will return
again to clothing and civilization, only
to repeat the performance later on.
Verify, his moods are as eccentric as
the flight of his own boomerang.