A WHALE FEAST. 475 



looks eagerly at the tree, for he has detected the holes made 

 by the nails of the opossum in its ascent ; he noAV seeks for one 

 of these footmarks which has a little sand attached to it, and 

 gently blows the sand. If this is still damp, and holds together, 

 it is a sign that the animal has climbed the tree the same 

 morning, for otherwise the sand, dried by the heat of the 

 sun, would have been readily swept away before his breath. 

 Having, by this examination of signs which an unskilled Euro- 

 pean would vainly strive to detect, convinced himself that the 

 opossum is in some hole of the tree, the native pulls his hatchet 

 from his girdle, and cutting a small notch in the bark about 

 four feet from the ground, he places the great toe of his right 

 foot in it, throws his right arm round the tree, and with his 

 left liand sticks the point handle of the hatchet into the bark, 

 as high up as he can reach, and thus forms a stay to drag him- 

 self up with ; having made good this step, he cuts another for 

 his left foot, and thus proceeds until he has ascended to the 

 hole where the opossum is hid, which is then compelled by 

 ^smoke, or by being poked out, to quit its hiding-place, wiien the 

 snative catching hold of its tail, dashes it down on the ground, 

 land quietly descends to pick it up. 



The stranding of a whale is a great event in an Australian's 



life, for here without any trouble on his part the bountiful sea 



)resents him with a whole mountain of flesh. It is impossible 



;for civilised man to enter into the feelings of the savage under 



[these circumstances, for he has never been similarly situated, 



Ihe never has had such a prodigal repast placed at once befpre 



;him. On finding a whale cast ashore upon his property, the 



lative 'lord of the manor,' seeing the impossibility of his own 



family consuming this enormous mass of food, whatever zeal it 



lay bring to the task, feels his breast glow with unwonted 



^hospitality, and anxious to see his friends about him, falls to 



■work with his wives, and kindles large fires to give notice of 



[the joyful event. This duty being performed, he rubs himself 



[all over with the blubber, then anoints his favourite wives, and 



;thus prepared, begins cutting his way through the blubber into 



^the flesh, the grain of which is about as firm as a goose-quill. 



;By-and-by other natives come gaily trooping in from all 



J quarters ; by night they dance and sing, by day they eat and 



[Sleep, and continue gormandising and meriy-making until 



