Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-10-13
AN uNTAMAULE SAVAGE

fhe AuotraIian Abori9ine 10 the
~tPaneest OF Human Creatures.
The Central Australian abOvigin 10
he living representative Of q stone
,ge, who still fashions his spear heads
md knives from flint or sandstone. and
Performs the most daring surgical op-
.ratiOns with them. His origin and
bis history are lost in tie gloomy miss
II the past He has no written rec
srds and few oral traditions. In ap-
pearance he Is q naked hirsute savage,
with a type Of features occasionally
pronouncedly Jewish. He Is by nature
ight-hearted. merry and prone to
huShter; a ,splend mimic, supp-e-
lointed, with an firing hand that
works in perfect unison with his eye.
which 10 as keen as that Of an eagle.
He has never been known to wash. He
has no private ownership Of land, ex-
sept as regards that which is not over
carefully concealed about his own per-
son. He cultivates nothing, but lives
entirely on the spoils Of the chase. and
although the thermometer frequently
ranges from Is degrees to over 80 de-
grees Fahrenheit in "a hours, and his
country Is teeming with furred game.
he makes NO use of the skins for cloth
Ing, but goes about during TIE day and
sleeps In the open at night perfectly
nude.
He builds NO permanent habltation,
and usually camps where night or IA
tigue overtakes him. He can travel
from point to point for hundreds Of
miles through the painless bush with
unerring precision, and can track an
animal over rocks and stones. where q
European eye would be unable TO dis
tinguish mark. He Is a keen observ-
er. and knows the habits and changes
OF form Of every variety Of animal OF
vegetable life In his country. Relig-
lous belief he has none, but is exces-
sively superstitious, living in constant
dread Of an evil spirit, which is sup.
posed to lurk around his camp at night
He has no gratitude except that Of the
anticipatory order and is as treacher.
ous as Judas. He has no traditions
and yet continues to practice with
ScrupulOus exactness q number OF
hideOus customs and ceremonies which
have been handed down from his faith
ers. and Of the origin or reason OF
which he knows nothing. Ofttmei
kind and even affectlonate to those oil
his children who have been permitted
to live. he still practices, without any
| reason except that his father did SO be
fore him, the most cruel and revolving
| mutilatiOns upon the young men ant
maidens Of his tribe.
He is not a cannibaL No cold join
| Of missionary graces his sideboard, ant
| should hunger, as penalty for his i'm
provident gluttony, overtake him, h,
simply ties thin hair girdle tightly
round his stomach, and almost per
suades himself that he Is still sufferin,
from repIetion. He is absolutely un
tamable. You may clothe and care fo
him for years. When suddenly the de
mon Of unrest takes possession h,
throws off his clothing and plunge
into the trackless depths of his nativ,
bush. at once reverting to his old ant
hideous customs, and when sated, afte
months of privation. he will return
again to clothing and civilization, onl,
to repeat the performance later on
Verify, his moods are as eccentric q
the flight Of his own boomerang.