Identifier: amongcannibalsac1889lumh (find matches)
Title: Among cannibals; an account of four years' travels in Australia and of camp life with the aborigines of Queensland;
Year: 1889 (1880s)
Authors: Lumholtz, Carl, 1851-1922 Anderson, Rasmus Björn, 1846-1936, tr
Subjects: Ethnology Natural history
Publisher: New York, C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
te mans cattle, and many a white man is killed by thisweapon ; but, strange to say, I have never observed any re-markable skill in its use among the blacks of Herbert river.This may be explained by the fact that in a great measurethey find their food in the scrubs, where spears cannot beused. Of course it is difficult to hit an animal running atfull speed, but I have often seen them miss sitting shots.On the other hand, it sometimes happens that they kill threeor four during a hunt. This time all the booty consisted of a few bandicoots(PeramelidcE), which were dug out of the ground between theroots of a large gum-tree. While the men were busy doingthis the women stood ready to receive the game and take ithome. The bandicoots are good eating even for Europeans,and in my opinion are the only Australian mammals fit toeat. They resemble pigs, and the flesh tastes somewhat likepork. During the whole chase the women took the greatestdelight in watching the sport of the men. At the same time
Text Appearing After Image:
vii NA TIVE SPEARS AND J A VELINS 93 they were busily occupied in pulling up the roots of acacias,inside which a larva (Emynassa aiistralis) is concealed, whichis eagerly sought after, and is regarded by the natives as amost delicate morsel. The larva when found was immediatelyroasted in the red-hot ashes lying everywhere on the ground,and was at once devoured. On grassy plains the hunt of the wallaby, which is the sportmost dear to the men, is always carried on in the mannerabove described, that is, by burning the grass or simplyby wandering about hunting for the sleeping animals. Thewallabies have excellent ears, and start at the least noise.They may sit for a few moments moving their large ears tocatch any suspicious sound ; but, as a rule, even the catlikesteps of the blacks are too noisy to enable them to approachsufficiently near the wallaby. When it rains they do nothear so well, and it is then easier to kill them. These wallabies, the large kangaroos, and the white manscattle

Note About Images