136 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



While out one day with my net, I saw two almost 

 naked savages coming toward me ; one carried a spear 

 and a nulla-nulla, and the other was armed with a 

 boomerang. They were both very dark, almost black, 

 and their heads were covered with long, tangled hair, 

 while the lower parts of their faces were hidden under 

 thick, bushy beards. 



Their flat, spreading noses, and small, glittering eyes, 

 partly hidden beneath their protruding brows, gave 

 them a savage, almost terrible, look ; and if I had been 

 in a wild, unsettled country, I should probably have 

 done a mile or two of good " go as you please." They 

 came straight up to me, and, in very good English, 

 asked for tobacco. I told them that I did not use the 

 article, and I considered it bad both for white and 

 black man; whereupon they both laughed, and one 

 said, 



" Ah, buncumb, gammon, English man all same 

 liar." 



They repeated their request for tobacco several 

 times, but as I each time made the same reply, they 

 came to the conclusion that I was telling the truth, or 

 that I was lying and intended to stick to it. As I was 

 mentally comparing their ugliness, a large, handsome 

 papilio came sailing past, and away I ran after it. A 

 roar of wild laughter followed me, as I caught and put 

 the insect into my bottle of cyanide ; then up they 

 came again, grinning and showing their teeth, no 



