The Present State of Australia: A Description of the Country, Its Advantages and Prospects, with Reference to Emigration; and a Particular Account of the Manners, Customs, and Condition of Its Aboriginal Inhabitants

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Smith, Elder and Company, 1831 - Aboriginal Australians - 464 pages
 

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Page 63 - Pp. 57, 68. Most of this gentleman's attention appears to have been given to the observation of the capabilities...
Page 141 - The true bred greyhound is the most useful dog: he has more wind; he ascends the hills with more ease; and will run double the number of courses in a day. He has more bottom in running, and if he has less ferocity when he comes up with an " old man," so much the better, as he exposes himself the less, and lives to afford sport another day.
Page 141 - ... so much the better, as he exposes himself the less, and lives to afford sport another day. The strongest and most courageous dog can seldom conquer a wool-man alone, and not one in fifty will face him fairly ; the dog who has the temerity is certain to be disabled, if not killed. The herd of kangaroos we had thus come upon was too numerous to allow of the dogs...
Page 108 - ... we gambolled all the way up, throwing small pieces of bark at each other, after the manner of the native youths, who practice this with a view of strengthening their arms, and fitting them for hurling a curious weapon of war, called a homering...
Page 140 - When they can they will hug a dog or a man as a bear would do, and as they are armed with long sharp claws, they frequently let a dog's entrails out, or otherwise lacerate him in the most dreadful manner, sitting all the while on their haunches, hugging and scratching with determined fury. Young dogs, that are fierce and of good bottom, are almost sure to be sacrificed if allowed to run at these 'old-men' before they have acquired some experience with smaller ones.
Page 57 - The natives are a mild and harmless race of savages; and when any mischief has been done by them, the cause has generally arisen, I believe, in bad treatment by their white neighbours. They have usually been treated 38.
Page 57 - I have, perhaps, had more intercourse with these people, and more favourable opportunities of seeing what they really are, than any other person in the colony. My object has always been to conciliate them, to give them an interest in cultivating our friendship, and to afford them protection against any injuries or insults from the people on this establishment, or elsewhere, within my jurisdiction.
Page 63 - ... them. They are, however, one of the best-natured people in the world, and would never hurt a white man if treated with civility and kindness. I would trust myself any where with them; and with my own blacks by my side, as I call them, I should feel myself safe against any enemy I could meet with in the bush.
Page 142 - All this was said in a breath ; and as I could not pretend to run with him, I desired him to go as fast as he could, and help the dogs, till I should arrive. When I got up to the spot, he was in the middle of the river, with about two feet depth of water, while the kangaroo, sitting upright on its haunches, was keeping both him and the dogs at a respectful distance, and had laid bare the windpipe of one of the dogs. Billy's waddy was too short to reach him without, coming to close quarters, and he...
Page 142 - The kangaroo was so heavy, weighing above one hundred and fifty pouads, that we could not lift him out of the water, and we were obliged to leave him till our party arrived on the opposite side. A fresh scene of pleasure ensued amongst the natives when they became acquainted with our good fortune. They were soon all in the river, from whence they drew the " woolman," and placed him on the back of one of the horses.

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