THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



will not support human life; hence the Aborigines lead rather a wandering existence. Having 

 no beasts of burden, they are compelled to carry everything themselves, and sore burdens are 

 placed on the unfortunate women. One woman usually carries on her back the following 

 articles: a sack containing a flat stone for crushing eatable roots; pieces of quartz for knives 

 and spear-heads ; stones for axes; cakes of gum from the xanthorrlicea or grass-tree, for 

 mending old weapons or preparing new ones; kangaroo sinews for thread, and needles of 

 kangaroo bone; opossum hair to make girdles; pieces of kangaroo skin for polishing the 

 spears; sharp shells to serve as knives and axe-heads; yellow and red ochre for painting; a 

 piece of bark for making "bast," ropes, girdles; ornaments; tinder for making fire; some fat 

 and a piece of quartz revered as a relic, having been extracted by the "doctor," or magician, 

 from a sick man; and besides these things, she must carry roots or fruits collected on the 

 road. But this is not all, for between the sacks and her own back she carries a store of 

 undressed hides, and in her hand a staff 5 or 6 feet long, or a firebrand. Sometimes she 

 carries her husband's spears also! One need not therefore be surprised that, as a rule, 16 or 



18 miles is considered 

 a good day's march. 



It can hardly be 

 said that the Austra- 

 lians are a brave race, 

 like- Zulus, Arabs, or 

 Sikhs; but here and 

 there examples have 

 been found of truly 

 heroic determination 

 or of great coolness. 

 Self-control they 

 certainly have in a 

 high degree. To the 

 present day the 

 natives reverence the 

 names of certain 

 brave and fiery 

 leaders who fought 

 in many a desperate 

 battle with Euro- 

 peans. They seem 

 somewhat fond of 



fighting among themselves. But such fights are not very deadly; their mode of warfare 

 does not, as a rule, lead to much bloodshed. One reason for this is obvious: every death 

 must be avenged, and therefore they have the fear of blood-feuds constantly before their eyes. 

 They are very fond of pouring torrents of abuse on their enemies from a safe distance. 

 They prefer to attack from an ambush, and they are extremely clever at dodging spears by 

 a sudden and almost imperceptible movement, or at covering themselves with their small 

 wooden shields. They often catch a spear and throw it back at the enemy who hurled it. 



The Australian shows more skill in the making of his weapons than he does in making 

 tents, clothing, or in cookery. Except in the extreme north, he is ignorant of the bow and 

 arrow used by his neighbours the Malay and the Papuan; but his spears, throwing-sticks, 

 clubs, and boomerangs are well made and very skilfully used. The wooden spear is found 

 everywhere. Of the spears used in war, some are 8 or 9 feet long. Thin stems of the 

 eucalyptus are used for this purpose, straightened and hardened by the action of heat. Some 

 have sharp flints, or pieces of quartz, fastened by gum in two grooves near the point. Want 

 of space forbids the writer from enlarging on the subject of weapons; but he would like to 



Photo by Mr. R. Phillip*} 



NATIVES OF RIVER ENDEAVOUR, NORTH QUEENSLAND. 



[Bristol. 



