ON THE AUSTRALIAN CASSOWARY 



( Casiiarius australis j. 



By A. MESTON. 



[Read before the Eoi/al Societtj of Queenslaml, 19th Ma;/, 1894.] 



The first cassowary described in Australia was shot by an abori- 

 ginal who accompanied Kennedy's expedition from Rockingham 

 Bay to Cape York in 1848. This native was known as " Jackey 

 Jackey " to the white men, and as " Galmarra," or the composer 

 of songs," to his own tribe on Patrick's Plains, Hunter River, 

 New South Wales. In the history of Australian exploration 

 there is no name more honourably entitled to undying remem- 

 brance. But for that brave and faithful savage not a soul would 

 have survived that fatal expedition. 



On the 17th August, 1857, the first cassowary brought to 

 Sydney was landed there by Captain Devlin of the cutter 

 Oberon. This bird came from the island of New Britain, where 

 the natives called it " Moorook." The Australian emu, origi- 

 nally, was named by Latham Casitnmis Novce Hollandice, or the 

 " New Holland Cassowary." (Salvadori describes nine species 

 of cassowary in New Guinea and the neighbouring islands). 



In the Journal of Carron, one of the survivors of Kennedy's 

 party, we find the following entry for November 14th, 1848 : — 

 " This morning ' -Jackey ' went to examine a scrub through 

 which we wanted to pass, and while out he shot a fine casso- 

 wary. It was very dark and heavy, not so long in the legs as 

 the emu, and had a larger body, shorter neck, and a large red, 

 stiff, horny comb on top of the head. Mr. Wall skinned it, but 

 from the many difficulties with which we had to contend, the 

 skin was spoiled before it could be properly preserved." This 

 was near Weymouth Bay, seven days before the party divided. 

 The first description of this cassowary appeared in the Illustrated 



