Among cannibals; an account of four years' travels in Australia and of camp life with the aborigines of Queensland; . keen and trained senses,by which they discovered animals in the most surprisingmanner. We hunted the cassowary or dug out from theearth bandicoots and DasyuridcB—not a day passed onwhich we did not go out on some hunting expedition ; inshort, I was constantly with them, and frequently spent theevenings in their camp, which, as a rule, was pitched nearthe station. As I gradually became able to make myselfunderstood, my interest in this remarkable and most primitiverace of people
Among cannibals; an account of four years' travels in Australia and of camp life with the aborigines of Queensland; . keen and trained senses,by which they discovered animals in the most surprisingmanner. We hunted the cassowary or dug out from theearth bandicoots and DasyuridcB—not a day passed onwhich we did not go out on some hunting expedition ; inshort, I was constantly with them, and frequently spent theevenings in their camp, which, as a rule, was pitched nearthe station. As I gradually became able to make myselfunderstood, my interest in this remarkable and most primitiverace of people increased. Mr. Scotts keeper at the station was a peevish, conceitedold man, who spent most of his time sleeping on a sort ofcot which he had placed on the verandah. He had left thecare of the house entirely to a Kanaka. This latter hadpurchased from the tribe in the neighbourhood of HerbertVale a girl, Nelly, for his wife, and the main burden ofhousekeeping was put upon her. The only thing that theKanaka did himself was to milk the cow in the morning,bake the damper, and chop the fuel for the kitchen. There. &?^ zaao H a n ><?J 2 VI A STRANGE HOUSEHOLD 8i was not much variety in our bill of fare: salt beef anddamper, damper and salt beef, were the standing dishes atall three meals. On two occasions a chicken was killed,which was prepared in the plainest manner ; the head being-chopped off, it was stripped of its feathers, and at onceput into the kettle to boil. For a time we also had sweet-potatoes, which Nelly placed on the table for breakfast,dinner, and supper as long as they lasted. No care wasbestowed on our hens, however ; they laid many eggs, whichNelly, our skilful cook, invariably did her best to serve in analmost petrified condition. The old man delighted in a numerous family of cats ;for, in his opinion, after a woman, a cat was the chief sourceof domestic comfort. As soon as they heard the sound ofkettle and plates, they gathered in large numbers from allq
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectethnology, booksubjectnaturalhistory
