Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-06-02
A KANGAROO ROUNDUP.
STIRRING SPORT THAT NO LAND
BUT AUSTRALIA AFFORDS.

| Mf. Ii. Won Lenuenfeld, who has
been travelling in Australia, has re-
Gently given an account in his Austria
lische Reise of the novel sport of kan
garoo driving, which brings both diver
sion and profit to many Nimrods on
that continent. The Government of
New South Wales pays q bounty of 81
for every giant" kangaroo killed. The
purpose is, if not to exterminate them,
at least to drive them into the wilder
ness away from the ranges where the
millions of sheep Craze, for the enor-
nous quantity of grass the kangaroos
eat is needed for the sheep, especially
in dry seasons, when there is scant
fodder for the focks. So the Govern
ment pays bounty, and, as the kan
garoo's hide is valuable, it pays to take
part in kangaroo drives.
The result of this warfare is that the
animal has entirely disappeared from
the well-settled districts and is numer-
GUS only further inland. The kan
garoo likes flat or slightly hilly lands,
is not found among the mountains,
and it is among the undulating, thick
ly wooded districts of New South
Wales that the kangaroo drive is most
successful. Mr.. Won Lendenfeld says
that the kangaroo see in the menag-
cries is only q caricature of the animal
as he exists in tile freedom of his ma.
tive forests.
The drive is great roundup in
which many men take part, and from
forty to 200 animals are killed. Here
is the writer's description of the drive
in which he participated:
"There were fifty-six mounted hun
ters, and on the morning of the hunt
we were stationed at intervals on the
circumference of q circle whose diane
ter was about twenty miles. We were
all..to move toward Johns Fall, fiat,
treeless valley in the centre of this
circle, in the middle of which is lake
surrounded by bushes. We were to
drive the kangaroos' toward this CEN
tire. which was about ten miles distant
from the starting point of all the hun
ters, and we were to be gathered
around the valley at 4 p. m. There
were two men and guide with me,
and all the parties had dogs to help
them drive the kangaroos forward.
"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. They 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 it
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 sus-
picion 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 howl which sent the game scam
pering in the direction we wished them
to go.
''By dinner time we came to q pool
of water Only four or five miles from
the. rendezvous, and here we took
rest for an hour and a half. The
horses were unsaddled and we pre-
pared tea and dined. While lying in
the shade enjoying our rest we sud
denly saw some kangaroos running
toward us from the direction of Johns
Fall. They were scared and evidently
running away from some other hun
ters. We sprang to our feet, shouted
and waved our hats in order to
frighten 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 thud than their powerful hind
legs gave them another mighty pro-
pulsion forward, their heavy tailsnhelp-
ing them to steer clear of the trees and
other distractions.
about 3 p. m. we came in sight of
the thicket, which was the principal |
point of the roundup, and fell in with
another party coming from the left.
We now numbered six. and we ranged |
in line, with about 800 feet space be-
tween the men, and rode on. The
shooting all around the narrowing cir
Gle was growing fast and furious. I |
gave my horse to guide, who took it
away, and continued my journey on
foot, for I could not shoot very well |
on horseback. Some others also
walked the last part of the way, but
many remained in the saddle and fred |
from that position. The kangaroos,
many of which by this time were pass
ing US, ran singly, for the most part,
and with such speed through the thick |
copse that it was hard to hit them,
especially as the men had to be care
full not to shoot the hunters.
"We regulated our march so that
we arrived at the rendezvous at 4 D.
m. sharp. Here We suddenly obtained
all open view. Before us lay a space