Year: 1868

Since the small remnant left of the
aborigines have given up the chase and
hang about the townships and depend
upon the whites for food, and the shep-
herd kings have destroyed the dingo.
Kangaroos have an immunity from their
natural enemies, and their numbers have
of late years increased to such an extent
on some of the stations in the Western
District as to render it necessary that
plans should be devised for reducing the
number. With this view system has
been adopted similar to that pursued in
South Africa to capture the wild animals
of that country. A piece of ground of
some two or three acres in extent is sur
rounded with stockade IL feet high.
At the further end of this inclosure is a
smaller one of about quarter of an acre
in extent, and communicating with the
larger inclosure by swing gate.
which easily opens and shuts. A man
in command of the gate stands on an ell
evated platform, hidden by boughs, who
admitst the animals as they approach, but
prevents their egress. An opening is
left in the first Enclosure of few yards
wide, from which wings extend for about
mile in extent on each side, which di-
verge, affording wide mouth, into which
the kangaroos are driven and then urged
forward to the stockade inclosure. The
wings are formed of brushwood, sufi-
ciently high. to prevent the kangaroos
from hopping over Last week three
battues took. place to the westward.
The last was on the -Caramut station.
Shortly after sAsoms twenty five horse
men started from the township, and were
soon after Joined by the men from the
Gum and Macarthur stations. The men
then encompassed large area of ground,
and gradually headed the kangaroos to-
wardsthe mouth of the inclosure. Eleven
o'clock was the hour fixed for general
rendezvous at the wicket gate; the party
then mustered between 60 and 70 eques-
trians. The meeting was graced by the
presence of several ladies on horseback,
with the junior members Of their fami-
lies on ponies The men spread out,
formed semicircle, and gradually con-
verged towards the mouth of the wings,
driving the kangaroos before them.
They had not proceeded very far within
the wings before large mob of kanga-
roos was seen heading to them. The
kangaroos had evidently been round the
large stockade, and finding no means of
escape had doubled back, with the de-
termination of forcing their way through


the approaching. sphalanx of horse


men, This was a most animating scene.
The kangaroos were lodging about


in all directions between the horsemen,


and all the shouting, waving of hand
kerchiefs and cracking of stockwhips
were unavailing to turn them back, and


several hundred thus escaped. A few


were brought down by the timely cut of


a stockwhip, and before they could re-


cover their legs theywere dispatched by


the loaded end Of the whip, This was


the most exciting and amusing part of
! The whole hunt. The grotesque move


ments Of the kangaroos, and the horse


men galloping about to head retreat
ling column, made capital sport an
occasional spill of some one into the mud
was provocative of laughter. Joeys-
the young kangaroos which had been
elected from the mothers pouches
were hopping about in all direc-
tions, and were seen taking refuge
in the brush fence. The hunters. hav.
ing closed up, formed compact mass at
the opening of the stockade, while few
of them entered and drove the animals
into the smaller inclosure, where they
were dispatched by being knocked on