A Kangaroo Hunt 



two into the adjacent country. These 

 were erected at intervals over the country, 

 wherever the kangaroos were most numer- 

 ous : and once a month, or so, all the neigh- 

 boring squatters would join in a grand 

 kangaroo " drive." Fifteen or twenty 

 square miles of country would be sur- 

 rounded, and all the animals within this 

 radius urged gently into the wide mouth 

 of the enclosure, and then forced into the 

 pen at its farther extremity. From three 

 to five thousand kangaroos were frequently 

 secured at a single drive — not to mention 

 the hundreds of wallaby bandicoots, native 

 cats, and other small creatures which were 

 inevitably caught in the general round-up. 

 The sheep, of course, had the previous day 

 been chased out of the region of the pro- 

 posed battue. 



When the animals were all within the 

 pen the gates were closed, and the danger- 

 ous " old men " shot down with the rifle. 

 The rest were then slaughtered with wad- 

 dies and short iron bars, powder and ball 

 being held far too precious for such work. 

 When the kangaroos became so scarce that 

 these drives could no longer be continued 

 with advantage, the scattered survivors 

 were hunted down with dogs and horses. 

 This was a dangerous but very fascinating 



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