The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-30
THE ROUNDUP OF KANGAROO

THE ROUNDUP OF KANGAROO.
A Novel Australian Sport-Profitable
Because of a Government Bounty
and the Value of the Hides.
Mr.. r. Won Lendenfeld, who has
been travelling in Australia, has re-
Gently given an account in his Aus
tralische Reise'' Of the novel sport Of
! Kangaroo driving, which brings both
| diversion and profit to many nimrods
I on that continent. The government
of New South Wales pays a bounty of
one dollar for every giant" kangaroo
killed The purpose is, II not to exter-
inmate them, at least to drive them
into the wilderness away from the
ranges where the millions of sheep
Craze, for the enormous quantity of
| grass the kangaroos eat is needed for
the sheep, especially in dry seasons,
when there is scant fodder for the
flocks. So the government pays
bounty and, as the kangaroo's hide is
valuable, it pays to take part in kan
CARGO drives.
The result of this warfare is that
tilc dilllldi LIDS eiltlely uISdppedlS GU
from the well-settled districts and Is
numerous only further inland. The
kangaroo likes fiat or slightly hilly
lands, is not found among the noun
tains, and 1t is among the undulating
thickly wooded districts of New South
Wales that the kangaroo drive is most
successful. Mr.. Won Lendenfeld says
that the kangaroo we see in the me-
nageries is only a earicature Of the an
imal as he exists in the freedom Of his
native forests. The drive is a great
roundup in which many men take
part and from forty to two hundred
animals are killed Here is the wri-
ter's description of the drive in which
he participated:
There were fifty-six mounted hunt
ers, and on the morning Of the hunt we
We're stationed at intervals on the cir
| conference of a circle whose diameter
was about twenty miles. We were all
to move toward Johns Fall, fiat,
treeless valley in the center of this
circle, in the middle of which there is
lake surrounded by bushes. We
were to drive the kangaroos toward
the center which was about ten miles
distant from the starting point of all
the hunters, and we were to be gath
cred around the valley at p. m.
There were two men and guide with
me, and all the parties had dogs to
help them drive the kangaroos for
ward.
Our party advanced for about two
hours, when we discovered some kan
garoos on hill. The animals stood
erect like human beings, on their hind
legs. Thhey often bent their heads to
the ground, resting on their little fore
legs, and then lifted their heads, with
mouths full Of grass, SO as to chew 1t
more comfortably. AS soon as the
guide saw the kangaroos he gave
call which the dogs understood, and
they came instantly and remained
with us. The call did not attract the
attention of the kangaroos, and they
continued to eat grass. My guide rode
back with the dogs to get around the
kangaroos and chase them forward.
They did not have the slightest suspi-
cion of our presence, but played,
rubbed one another's backs, and kept
on feeding. Suddenly the wild dogs
or dingoes, in the neighborhood set up
a howl which sent the game scamper-
ing in the direction we wished them to
60.
by dinner time we came to pool
of water only four or FIVE miles from
the rendezvous, and there we took a
rest for an hour and half. The
horses were unsaddled and we pre-
pared tea and dined. While lying in
the shade enjoying our rest we sud-
| co II 10
ward us from the direction of Johns
Fall. They were scared and evidently
running away from some other hunt
ers. We sprang to our feet, shouted
and waved our hats in order to fright
en- the animals back, but they paid no
attention to us, came on like the wind,
and it was evident that many of them
, would escape past us. They leaped
through the air. and no sooner had
they come to the ground with a thud
, than their powerful hind legs gave
them another mighty propulsion for
ward, their heavy tails helping them
: to steer clear of the trees and other
Instructions.
"'They are too knowing for u.s. said
one of the men, but I think We'll stop
couple of Them and with these
words a shot rang out and one of the
kangaroos fell, an old male and the
, leader of the herd. My comrades had
/ repeating guns and began firing on
the fleeing animals that were wound
ed. One of us followed the dogs in or
!, der to scalp the dead kangaroos and
| came back after while with five
scalps; for scalps and ears must be
! delivered to the government in order
| to bet the reward. We had no time to
, get the hides and we could hardly ex-
pect to secure them later, for the car
cases were certainly devoured by wild
| dogs.
''At i:3U T. m we continued our ride,
! occasionally hearing in the distance