New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-27

The BLACK Fellow of Australia Has Peculiar
Ideas About Whom He May and
May Not Marry.

with red ochre except his spear. When or
the march each man has a shield, spears
spear thrower and boomerang. The Cen
trail Australian boomerang, however, Is
not made to return 30 the thrower; that
I requirement has never been learned by
these semi-savage people The encamp-
rnents to be seen on the desert are not at
tractive by reason of their picturesqueness
There is a low. half circle OF wall, cou-
ple Of feet high built of the roots of spine
: fex Inside the wall are various scooped-
out holes. which serve as beds. and here
the natives lie four or Ave OF them, hud-
ding together anyhow to aep cosey, for
all the world like a bunch of mice in a
corner.
There is fire close by, and round It
crouch other natives. for the nights are
chill. They never, however make Dig
fire. but prefer small one, near winch
they can lie in a curled up attitude, getting
most of the warmth themselves and sup"
plying the fire with small twigs. Of which
they keep a bunch near al hand. A few
fat stones used for grinding seed, crude,
pointed stick for digging up roots. one or
TWO coolamins-a kind OF small trough
made from the followed out branch or 8
tree and used for carrying food. etc'-and
several 'portrnanteaus.'' made of bark. in
when the native cal 4Eo " Hot an N''-
siders his valuables. complete his impedi-
mentA-
The one thing the aboriginal well undeE;-
stands is the getting of water and food.
II seems 10 be a provision of nature that,
while the land is so parched, there should
be Trees which store water, such as the
malice. acacia. muga and young gum
trees The roots often run for many feet.
sonnet mes for fifty to eighty. just beneath
the surface of The sand. The native soon
notices them. and can easily pull up the
stem: cutting il into lengths Of Two or
three rect ne sets them on end. and soon
the water is trickling down into the cool
amin or a bag made from the skin or
wanaby. which as most people know Is
small kind of kangaroo
or course. the natives are aware OF the
rock holes and little wells TO ne found
in apparently waterless regions Water ~
more precious than food ard whenever
naive finds We'll he takes the greatest
care of IL
There is no regular industry. ard II
food is plentiful there is no occupation but
IN lie about and lounge the day away.
when food is scarce, however. search has
TO be made BY the women for rats and
lizards. while the men 90 off 10 hunt for
kangaroOs and emus. Generally, there are
sneared. and considerable skill is often
exercised in the throwing of the weapon
one Of the ways Of capturing an emu is
10 find water hole where The bird is
accustomed to drink and put some ef the
leaves Of the pitsri plant in IT, which has
the effect Of narcotic. 50 that after GO
i,,e 10 the we'll TIE bird becomes stupefed
and is easily captured The emu being
an induisitiTe bird. IL sometimes heguiied
Ia approach a man who is dressed up IN
emu feathers with 4 thing something like
an emu's head stuck on the top Of his own
As the natives have no metal tools OF
vessels and not even able 10 make
dishes out of clay. they quite ignorant
Of how TO boil water; SO most Of their