New-York tribune., 1898-11-27
TESTING ABORIGiNES.
! WAR DANCE CARRIED ON IN A LONDON Gov
ERNMENT OFFICE
From The London Mall.

ERNMENT OFFICE.
From The London Mall.
There are at present under the care OK tn:
Salvation Army shelter authorities brace OK
Australian abOrgines. black fellow and MS GIN
They landed a few days ago from Swedish
vessel which had brought them across from
Stockholm, and when sympathetic Australian
met item they were cruising around ainlessV
in the neighborhood Of the dock. The man whe
discovered them having elected that the pair
were homeless and utterly destitute, and had
originally come from Townsville. took them
along to the office OF the Queensland Govern
ment where they were presently ushered into
the presence OF Sir Horace Tozer, Agent-Gen-
era for the colony.
That genial officer. whose knowledge OF the
black fellow has been gained in the course OK
many years as Colonial Secretary, proceeded to
put the dusky derelicts through a sharp cate
chism as to their wanderngs. The black fellow
was somewhat retcent. and beyond volunteer
ing the information that he had once been
member OF the Queensland Native Police, no
could tell little OF his experiences since ne le1t
his native bush.
But the woman with the volubility Of her SEX
told Sir Horace that some seven or eight years
ago a Snowman named Cunningham (whose por-
trait she was able to produce> obtained from
the Queensland Govern nent permission to take
eight abOrigines on tour He selected four men
and four women, and for time they travelled
throughout the colonies. Then they went 10
America, where they threw spears and BOOM
erangs and things. and did corrOborees for some
time Here some OF the party died. and the
remainder went to Germany. where others ex-
pired from various causes. and then sweden
visited and i few more became deceased
for reasons so far unexplained
According to the woman she and her big
bearded spouse received some money in Stock
holm from Cunningham and were then shipped
to London. where they arrived some days before
they were found.
Still doubtful to their place of origin. Sir
Horace TOZer decided to put the question to a
practical test. Therefore he arose from his
chair, and faithfully reproducing the antic OF
the black fellow during the widest periods OF
the corroboree sang in a plaintive dirge, "Beera,
beera arrah. beera. arrah" words to that
effect That settled it, Catching the well-re-
membered howl Of the native song the gin took
up the weird refrain. and for thirty-three Sec
onds badly scared people on the sidewalk.
When they had calmed her down she looked
joyfully at her hairy husband, and said. Bin
make in plenty bobbery Tonga white pfcllcr.'
II Sir Horace ToZer had not been quite satis-
fled the light-hearted young thing would prob
ably have continued her happy song, but
Queensland's genial representative had heard
enough TO convince him that his best influence
should be employed to get the couple back to
their sunny southern humpy as soon possible.
Thanks to the kindly action of Sir Horace
Tozer, and the ready response Of the Salvation
Army authorities. tho poor black fellow and his
lubra at present being well cared for until
they depart for Townsville in one OF the b. I.
boatA,