298 THE NATIVE BLACKFELLOW 



bits of broken pipe, the remains of former cherished 

 possessions ; and other useless articles will be a few pieces 

 of coloured rag and paper. A box of matches is a 

 valuable possession to him, which he much covets. Lines 

 and fish-hooks will form part of his equipment ; the hooks 

 will probably be of factory make. If he has to rely on 

 himself for a supply of these necessary articles, they will 

 be neatly, if not beautifully, made out of bone or shell. If 

 he has a spare hunger-belt, it may be made of fine plaited 

 twine, which his gin has spun from the fur of an opossum 

 or native cat. He nearly always has a pouch attached to 

 the hunger-belt, and perhaps another secured by twine 

 round the upper part of his right arm. In one of these 

 pouches he carries his supply of tobacco, which he is 

 seldom without, for so passionately fond of the weed are 

 all natives, even the women and children, that they will 

 travel several hundred miles to beg or barter for a little 

 from the stock-riders and shepherds. These few articles, 

 with his weapons, a knife, and perhaps a few pins and 

 needles obtained from a squatter's wife, generally 

 represent the entire possessions of an average blackfellow. 

 He may have, in addition, a few bits of rubbish picked 

 from the dust-heap of some station, and which, though 

 utterly useless, he treasures as a miser does his gold. If 

 his gin has a few bits of left-off finery, or an old gown, 

 happy woman is she. 



Everything the blackfellow possesses is carried in a 

 net-bag, a handy and light way of packing his goods. 

 Even the baby is suspended to the mother's back in a net ; 

 and so well spun is the twine of which these nets are made 

 that they last for years, and I have proved that the twine 

 itself is quite twice as strong under a weight test as the 

 best of ours. It is plaited, not twisted. 



In general deportment the blackfellow is rather grave, 

 but he is not destitute of a sense of humour, can be merry 

 on occasion, and often laughs heartily. Provoked, he is 

 vindictive ; but well used he is generally thankful, and 

 never forgets a kindness. The worst feature of his 

 disposition is his cruelty to his woman, and the low esteem 



