THE ABORIGINES OF AUSTRALIA. 261 



tralian shores are then visited. The fact of the kangaroo, their 

 principal source of sustenance also seeking the shelter of the interi- 

 or at this season, has, of course great influence in attracting them 

 from the coast. I have already endeavoured to describe their mode 

 of capturing this animal when the tribes are mustered in force. 

 "When hunting individually, which is the ordinary method, the hunter 

 sallies forth alone, without even a dog, and armed with only one or 

 two spears and his wamera. He is not long in coming upon the 

 track of the game he is seeking. This he follows up, sometimes for 

 miles, with a sharpness of vision and noiselessness of movement 

 which to the white observer is extraordinary ; but he is now gaining 

 on the prize, and symptoms of its close vicinity are evident ; with 

 breathless caution and with spear poised, he gradually advances upon 

 his victim, taking advantage of every stump or bush to cover his 

 approach ; at length a glimpse of the game is gained, which may be 

 quietly grazing, or perchance enjoying a siesta under cover of some 

 thicket unconscious of danger ; a sharp and whizzing sound in the 

 air is all the notice it gets, and the next moment it lies transfixed 

 with the spear. 



The clothing of these people consists of but one garment, a cloak 

 made of the skins of the kangaroo. This cloak which is worn by 

 both sexes, they contrive to make serve for all weathers and seasons. 

 The usual manner of wearing it is with the fur next bo the body ; 

 but when exposed to heavy rains it is reversed and the fur turned 

 outside in order to allow the wet to run off without penetrating the 

 skin. During the warmer summer months and when roving in the 

 woods away from the settlements, even this is generally dispensed 

 with ; they then wander about unencumbered and free of all restraint 

 as far as artificial covering is concerned, and but seldom use their 

 cloak except merely to wrap about them when sleeping around their 

 fires, to protect them from the dew and cold night air. 



The men also wear round their waists, under the cloak, a fine 

 string made of the fur of the opossum, about as thick as common 

 grey worsted, which it much resembles in appearance . This is wound 

 about them in innumerable folds, until it forms a belt about as thick 

 as a man's wrist. When suffering from want of food, which is often 

 the case, this belt is drawn tightly round the body, and by thus com- 

 pressing the stomach, it tends to alleviate, for a time, the cravings of 

 hunger. It also serves as a depot for their kilees, stone tomahawks, 

 knives, or any thing else that they may wish to carry about them. 



On my first landing amongst the savages of Australia on the beach 

 at Albany, I observed that some of the men had small bones, or 



