The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-11-14
Their Slow Business Methods
and Mode of Living.
FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES


INV SustTalld WltuOut DeluB dDle W
settle satisfactorily whence they came
but agree that the first race were in
icrior to the present race; that they
graVitated to the south at time;
that there was continuity of land be-
.ween Victoria and Tausmania; that
the latter island became separated
and Bass Strait appeared, leaving
primitive race south of 1t. These
cayages knew nothing Of shields or
Momerahs (spear-throwing imple-
ments), but they knew the art of
making fire by friction between sticks
OF wood; had wooden clubs and
s, ears with heads of same material
rs the shafts OF flint or stone. They
lad rude stone axes of the so-called
Laleolithic (earliesD kind, and their
crania indicated grade of intellect
tut little above the slmlan family.
Tho vanished race of Tasmanias
were their descendants, for the last
man and woman died within few
decades, and their portraits are
shown in the books.
II is an interesting thing to SCI
tie natives produce fire In remark
ably short time by the use OF the fire
sticks, says u writer in the P!ttsburg
Despatch. l have seen only two
kinds of sticks and have read of an
other method which is said to OBJ
tain among the interior tribes by
rubbing a womerah. which Is always
OF hard and tough wood across the
edge of shield which Is generally
of wood which Is softer. The shields
are concave-conyeX always, and the
friction across the edges produce fire
in two places instead of one, which
would have Its advantages of course.
The bushmen apparently know or
care but little about personal ad-
ornment. The women wear neck
laces of shells. The men daub their
bodies with ochreous paints and stick
feathers and down to their bodies
for their mystic ceremonies and both
men and women decorate their skins
with scars which are the product OF
incisions In the skin which are kept
from healing for a certain length OF
time by burning with the end OF
red hot stick or the insertion of for
eign substances. causing d ridge-like
effect supposed to be exactly the pro-
per thing.
Men and women make long. par
allel incisions clear across the abdo-
men. chest or around the shoulders.
Boys after their initiation into the
rank Of manhood are SCARED quite
literally. They have a kind of tattoo
soaring also which consists Of null
titudinous short incisions arranged In
groups In certain patterns and may
be placed indiscriminately in several
parts Of the body.
When a married man dies his wife
makes long central incision In her
scalp extending from the occiput to
the edge of the frontal bone. This Is
generally done with flint knife and
the same course Is observed as In
other incisions to prevent too-ready
healing. Girls after marriage and
boys after reaching mans estate tie
their hair with braids around the
head so arranged that the mass Of
hair will extend obliQuely upward
and backward. BY being retained
constantly in this fashion the folds
or corrugations OF the scalp become
permanent and the appearance 10
bizarre.
In alluding to the burial customs
of the bushmen and telling OF their
being inferred in a sitting posture.
exceptions are mentioned In the fun
erary habits of very few tribes liv-
ing far in the interior bordering the
desolate waste known as Never Never
Land.
One at least OF these tribes place
the body on a platform In tree,
much after the manner of some OF
our Indians of the West and North
west.
They have method for de-
coration which would not be recog-
nized nor used In most countries and
i'
men and consists in the removal OF
one or two OF the upper central In
cisor teeth. When at La Perouse |
wondered why 80 many Of the gent
Ter sex had lost SO many front teeth.
hut the authorities have made 1t
quite clear. The dental operation Ia
generally performed on the girl be-
fore marriage by another woman who
causes the patient to lie on the
ground with her head in depress-
ion made for the purpose. She places
a stick against one of the teeth and
generally one hard blow on the end
Of the stick with love" stone is
sufficient to remove the tooth and
produce the requisite cosmetic effect
They think II adds to their beauty
and any one who has seen them will
freely admit there Is need to be de-
sired In that line. but they also be-
lieve that II causes what they eat and
drink to taste better
Australian business methods do not