192 BUSH WANDERINGS. 



nicks in the bark, as a purchase for their fingers and 

 toes, with a tomahawk (which, before the white man 

 settled here, was made of stone, and answered every 

 purpose), and drag him from his hole. Of course, no 

 white man can ever equal them in stealthily creeping 

 on to their game; and I have often remarked that 

 neither the kangaroo in the forest nor the wild turkey 

 on the plains take half the notice of a black that they 

 do of a white man. As all the species of birds and 

 animals above mentioned, and fish, formed their prin- 

 cipal subsistence in the way of the chase, they could get 

 along very well without dogs ; and as they had nothing 

 to fear from the attacks of any wild animal, and no 

 property to protect, I think it most probable that the 

 domestic dog was introduced into this country by the 

 white man, and that before he landed the blacks did 

 without their assistance ; for I cannot believe that the 

 wild dog could ever have been broken from a state of 

 nature to become of any service to man, more than the wolf 

 of Europe. Still the oldest settlers seem to have no recol- 

 lection of seeing the blacks without dogs. That they are 

 very fond of them, is evident from the pack which accom- 

 panies every tribe — hungry, mangy, sneaking-looking 

 curs, of no particular breed ; most likely a cross of every 

 blood known in the colony. I have seen a Lubra, or 

 native woman, suckling two puppies ; and, like monkeys, 

 these ladies have a particular fancy for fleaing their dogs. 

 Next in relation to the bushman's mate stands his 

 dog ; and I should almost feel myself wanting in grati- 



