TURTLE AND SUCKERS 239 



As a matter of fact, out-rigger canoes were not known 

 in this locality, though but 20 miles to the north hollowed 

 logs with out-riggers of the stems of banana plants were 

 common. This fact definitely fixes the point — geographi- 

 cal and also historical — at which the advanced ideas of the 

 Papuan in the science of boat-building ceased to influence 

 the tardy Australian. Ere knowledge of the counter- 

 balance crept further south, the advent of the arbitrary 

 white man brought its progress to a full and final stop. 

 Fragile single canoes of bark were the only means of 

 navigation here, and not many men in these degenerate 

 days can successfully imitate the work of their fathers. 

 Owing to disuse, the talent in that direction has almost 

 been lost. Lost, too, are many of the legends which were 

 wont to be handed down from one generation to another, 

 and forgotten the very names of common objects. But 

 these investigations do not pretend to depth, nor are they 

 presented in any authoritative manner. No attempt is 

 made to discuss the Australian aboriginal in general nor 

 from any particular standpoint. A few side-shows and 

 character sketches are offered in the attempt to interest 

 and entertain. 



In some respects our blacks, said to be among the finest 

 physically in Queensland, and desperately deceitful, are 

 cute and as independent of artificial aids as ever. 



Turtle and Suckers 



Generally unprogressive and uninventive, the aboriginals 

 of the coast of North Queensland apply practically the 

 result of the observation of a certain fact in the life-history 

 of a fish in obtaining food. By them the sucker (remora) 

 is not regarded as an interesting example of a fish which 

 depends largely upon turtle, dugong, sharks and porpoises 

 for locomotion, but as a ready means of effecting the 

 capture of the two first-mentioned animals, always eagerly 

 hunted for their flesh. 



