356 OPERATING CAUSES. [CHAP, ix, 



timely measures are taken for their civilization and pro- 

 tection. I have heard some affecting allusions made by 

 natives to the white men's killing the Kangaroo. At 

 present, almost every stockman has several Kangaroo 

 Dogs ; and it would be only an act of justice towards 

 the Aborigines to prohibit white men from killing these 

 creatures, which are as essential to the natives as cattle 

 to the Europeans." 



But if the Kangaroo is fast vanishing, the Emeu is 

 doomed indeed. The same authority, writing in 1838, 

 informs us, " Of the Kangaroo and Emeu it may be 

 observed, that any noise may be made in hunting the 

 latter without inconvenience, but that the less made in 

 chasing the Kangaroo the better. The Emeu is dis- 

 posed to halt and look, being, according to the natives, 

 quite deaf ; the eye is proportionally keen ; and thus 

 they frequent the open plains, being there most secure 

 from whoever may invade the solitude of the desert. 

 The Kangaroo, on the contrary, bounds onward while 

 any noise continues whereas, if pursued silently, he is 

 likely to halt and look behind, and thus lose distance. 

 Dogs learn sooner to take Kangaroos than Emeus, 

 although young Dogs get sadly torn in conflicts with the 

 former. But it is one thing for a swift J)og to overtake 

 an Emeu, and another thing to kill, or even seize it. 

 Our Dogs were only now learning to seize Emeus, 

 although they had chased and overtaken many. To 

 attempt to seize them by the side or leg is dangerous, 

 as an Emeu could break a horse's leg with a kick ; but 

 if they seize them by the neck, as good Dogs learn to do, 

 the bird is immediately overthrown, and easily killed. 

 The flesh resembles a beef-steak, and has a very agree- 



