114 W, T. WYNDHAM. AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES I 



net, thinking it the safest thing to do. After having a good feed 

 of roast fish, I thought to continue my journey, but the blacks did 

 not see the force of it, and I submitted with patience. I was 

 kept netting for a month or more. (I saw one of these blacks 

 years afterwards on the Peel River, and he recognised me). The 

 water was rushing over the fall in half flood, and the fish were 

 obstructed by the fall. Four or five blacks entered this turbid 

 water at the same time. Although an excellent swimmer I did 

 not care at first to look into a boiling cauldron, in that there 

 seemed a fear lest all would be dashed to pieces. Those in the 

 water held one of the oblong nets on high between their hands, 

 and all dived in beneath the rushing flood. I found afterwards, 

 when I picked up courage to go in with them, that they pressed 

 the net flat down on the backs of the fish, and then all seizing the 

 fish in their hand from under the net rose to the surface, and 

 struggled to the shore with their booty. I went in frequently 

 afterwards with them, and it was something extraordinary to feel 

 the fish all round you, and to find them lying in heaps as it were, 

 in every hole and cranny of the rocky bottom. It certainly was 

 to one who has been fishing and hunting a life time a most exciting 

 method of fishing. 



There are three sorts of fresh water turtles or tortoise 19 that 

 come out to lay their eggs about September, particularly if there 

 should chance to be rains. The aborigines knowing the time were 

 accustomed to go along the banks of the rivers and track the 

 turtles to their nests, which generally contained twelve eggs. The 

 nest is usually concealed with a cake of mud, and so nicely hid, 

 that it is somewhat difficult to find. The turtle was caught fre- 

 quently on the nest, and I have often seen the aborigines dive in 

 the water and catch them with their hands. 



Of cray-fish 20 the aborigines eat quantities. A large sort they 

 •dig out of, or catch in the swamps of New England, a smaller sort 

 (that inhabits I think all the small fresh-water creeks of Australia) 

 they catch under stones among roots and in banks. This reminds 

 me that the name I went by among the Ucumble tribe, was Cray- 

 fish, or Goon oo 1, and I got it when I was a " New Chum " under 

 the following circumstances : there was a great drought, and I 

 used to turn over the stones in the bed of the rivers, whereupon 

 the aborigines spotted me, and gave a name that clung to me for 

 ever after. They also eat the fresh-water mussel 2 1 procured by 

 means of their toes, from the muddy banks of the rivers. Shrimps 

 •or prawns'" 2 are also consumed. 



The aborigines used to walk along the river banks with a spear 

 and throw in little pieces of peeled white wood into the clear holes 

 .amongst the weeds ; the cod fish would rush up thinking it was 

 something good to eat, and get speared. Often when the water 



