The Land of the Kangaroo Part 18

"While we were at breakfast," said Ned in his journal, "the horses were saddled and bridled and brought up to the front of the house. There were seven of us altogether. Our host, Mr. Syme, and his two brothers, a black fellow called Jack, Dr. Whitney, Harry, and myself. Our host and the doctor led the way; John, the elder of his brothers, rode with Harry, the younger, William, with me, and the black fellow by himself.

That is to say, the black fellow, Jack, brought up the rear, to be ready for use in case of an emergency. We found our companions well informed, and ready to give us any information in their power.

"For a mile or so we rode through an open, undulating region where the gra.s.s was fairly abundant, though not densely so. One of our escorts explained that the season had been a little dry, and the gra.s.s was not appearing as well as usual. After pa.s.sing this open stretch we entered a forest princ.i.p.ally of gum trees, whose white stems extended up a long distance into the air before throwing out any limbs. From the gum forest we pa.s.sed into a stretch of scrub, and then entered a valley, through which ran a small stream. The banks of the stream were fringed with trees, and the open parts of it were thickly covered with gra.s.s. A mob of some fifty or sixty cattle was grazing in this valley, and by the orders of our host, the black fellow rode in among them, cracking his whip loudly, and starting them off with heads and tails in the air.

"'They'll go straight to the cattle camp,' said Mr. Syme, 'and that's where we want them.'

"I asked if each herd had its own cattle camp, and whether it was possible to drive the animals to two or more different camps.

"'We never try to do that,' said the young man at my side; 'we think it quite sufficient if they will go to one camp only. You must remember they don't have much chance for education, and there is a limit to their powers of understanding.'

"We chatted on various topics as we rode along, and in two hours from the time of starting we reached the cattle camp. There was a herd there of several hundred cattle, which pretty well filled the open s.p.a.ce forming the camp. Half a dozen stockmen were there with as many black fellows, and there was also the Melbourne cattle dealer with two or three a.s.sistants.

"At one side of the camp there was a little hill or mound, and Harry and I went there, as it afforded a better view of the camp than the lower ground. It was a very interesting sight that we had from the mound. The ma.s.s of cattle was moving about uneasily; the bulls were bellowing, and pawing, and having an occasional fight; the cows were lowing for their calves, from which they had become separated, and the young bullocks were making mild disturbances in the ways peculiar to the bovine race.

The stockmen and black fellows were kept busy in preventing the straying of the animals, but even with all their vigilance a refractory animal would occasionally break away and disappear in the scrub. The cattle dealer had already begun to select his purchases, and we watched with a good deal of interest the process of separating them from their companions, and this is the way they did it:--

"They cut out a small mob of cattle, perhaps a dozen or twenty animals, and drove them off to one side. This was called the draft mob, or rather it was the beginning of the draft mob. The cattle that were picked out from the rest of the herd were put with these in order to keep them quiet while the operation was going on, and then the original of the draft mob were allowed to go back to the rest of the herd.

"The cattle selected by the dealer were mostly young and fat bullocks, possessing a good deal of strength and tempers of their own. They were what is called 'rowdy' in this country, that is, they were badly behaved, and it was no easy job for the stockmen to handle them.

"The cattle dealer would indicate an animal that he wanted, and then two of the stockmen would bring the creature out. Generally the bullock was disinclined to go, and made things pretty lively for the stockmen. Each man was mounted on a horse that knew his business and had done the same kind of work many times before. The horses stuck to their work just as earnestly as did the riders, and whenever a bullock tried to run away they ran after him, and kept up with him, too. I wonder that horse and riders did not break their necks in this performance, and one of the young gentlemen with us said that accidents were by no means infrequent.

He said that sometimes the bullocks showed a tendency to use their horns and charge upon the men and their horses just as the bull does in a Spanish bull-fight. No accident happened while we were looking on, and for this I am very thankful.

"One by one, the cattle which the dealer wanted were separated from the herd and placed in the draft mob until their number amounted to eighty.

Then the animals originally const.i.tuting the draft mob were allowed to rejoin the herd, and the herd was permitted to scatter wherever it liked. The draft animals were then taken in charge by the stockmen and started on the road to Melbourne; perhaps I ought to say that they were started for the nearest railway station and completed their journey with the aid of steam.

"By the time the drafting was completed the sun was past the meridian, and Harry and I were as 'hungry as hunters,' to use the old expression.

We thought we would have to ride back to the station to get our luncheon, and were agreeably disappointed when we found that a black fellow had just arrived with a hamper, or rather a bag of provisions, tied behind his saddle. Our host led the way to a well-shaded nook where there was a spring of water, and we gathered around the spring at the indication of our host, and prepared to do justice to the food that had made such a welcome appearance.

"A fire was kindled near by, and soon a steaming pot of tea was ready.

Tin cups made their appearance along with tin plates and knives and forks, and I had a realizing sense of the delicious taste of a cup of tea in the open air when one is hungry. The luncheon was a cold one, but it was abundantly satisfying, and we thanked our host for his thoughtfulness in providing it.

"When we were near the end of our meal, one of the stockmen came in and said something in a low tone to Mr. Syme.

"The latter nodded briefly, and said, 'All right,' and then the stockman went away.

"Then Mr. Syme remarked, turning to us:--

"'On our way back to the station we'll go by a different road, and I think I can show you something that will be new to you.'

"He said nothing more, and left us to wonder what the new sight would be.

"I forgot to mention that when we started from the station we were accompanied by several dogs. They had a good time ranging around over the plain and through the forest after the manner of dogs when let loose, and seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly. They were large and rather lank animals, and capable of making high speed when necessary. We asked our entertainer what they were specially used for, and were told that the animals were kangaroo dogs.

"'We use them for hunting kangaroos,' said the young man who accompanied me; 'and a well-trained kangaroo dog is a valuable piece of property to have. The kangaroo is an ungainly looking creature, but he can get over the ground with wonderful rapidity. He goes fourteen or sixteen feet at a jump, and he can jump at a very lively rate. Ordinary fences are nothing to him, as he can clear a six-foot fence at a single bound.'

"While we were at luncheon the dogs were close about us on a keen lookout for any sc.r.a.ps or slices of meat that came in their way.

"The remains of the luncheon were given to them after the black fellow Jack had been duly cared for, but there wasn't enough of the provisions remaining to give the animals an overdose.

"When all was ready we mounted our horses, and our host led the way, first announcing that he would show us some wild kangaroos. We came out on the plain, and after riding three or four miles, approached a clump of low trees and bushes, which was pointed out by the stockman whom I mentioned.

"'There are the kangaroos,' said Mr. Syme; 'we will go in on one side of the clump, and give them a chance to make a run.'

"Following his directions, we spread out into a somewhat extended line and approached the bunch of timber from the northern side. The dogs began to show uneasiness, but were held in check by their young masters, who spoke to them in very emphatic tones.

"We advanced a short distance into the bushes, keeping in line as well as we could. Suddenly there was a great stir and a series of sounds, as though some one was pounding violently on the ground with a club.

"'There they go!' shouted Mr. Syme. 'Let off the dogs!'

"Evidently the dogs understood what he said, as they did not wait for the permission of their young masters. Away they went at full speed after the kangaroos. There must have been twenty or thirty of the latter making off across the plain in a southerly direction, but run as fast as they did, the dogs could not keep up with those high-jumping creatures.

The speed was something prodigious. Our whole party started in full gallop behind the dogs, the horses seeming to enter into the spirit of the race quite as much as did their riders.

"There wasn't much chance for conversation during this run, but the young man who was acting as my escort managed to tell me that we would have a race of about three miles. 'The kangaroo always runs for water,'

he said; 'and the nearest water in that direction is about three miles away. They'll fetch up at a small pond and make a stand there.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: "THERE THEY GO!" SHOUTED MR. SYME.]

"I learned afterward that this was a peculiarity of the kangaroo, to seek water whenever he is pursued. The country over which we rode was not the smoothest in the world, being broken in some places by rocks, and enc.u.mbered by fallen timber in others. Here is where the jumping powers of the kangaroo came in handily, as he could clear rocks and logs with the utmost facility, and he had the ability to select a comparatively smooth spot to come down upon. His jumping is done with the muscles of his very powerful hind legs. He doesn't use his fore legs at all in walking or jumping, employing them princ.i.p.ally as hands and arms, very much as the American squirrel uses his paws. He can give a tremendous hug with his fore legs, and that is one of his methods of fighting.

"This is a good place to say something about the natural history of the kangaroo.

"Australia is, emphatically, the home of this animal, as he is found in a wild state in no other part of the world. Nearly all of the Australian animals are marsupials; that is, they have pouches in which their young are carried until able to take care of themselves. Of the large kangaroo there are eight species, and the largest of them are fully six feet in height and weigh one hundred and fifty pounds or more. Geologists say that at one time there were, in Australia, marsupial animals closely resembling the kangaroo but equaling the rhinoceros in size. They must have been formidable fellows to attack!

"The largest of all the kangaroos is the red one, and he is the one that we hunted. Of the small kangaroos, weighing, say from ten to fifteen pounds, there are seventeen species. Away in the interior of Australia there are some silky-haired kangaroos about the size of an ordinary rabbit, and there are several varieties still smaller, until you get down to those about as large as an ordinary squirrel. All of them are easily domesticated if taken when young, and they are very gentle pets.

They tell me that they had two at this station last year, and the dogs, whose business it was to hunt the kangaroo, clearly understood that they must leave these pet ones alone. Not only did they not harm the animals, but got on very good terms with them, so that it was no uncommon sight to see the kangaroos and the dogs lying down together in a very well-mannered group. But one day, while the pets were in the front of the house, a pack of strange dogs happened along and killed them.

"We didn't overtake the kangaroos until they reached the water; in fact, we heard the loud barking of the dogs before we came in sight of the pond. One of the largest males, commonly denominated here as an 'old man,' was on a little mound of earth just even with the surface of the water, while around him was a depth of about four feet. The dogs in front of him were at a respectful distance, as they had a great dread of and respect for his hind feet, which are a part of his fighting equipment. The kangaroo's hind foot has three very strong toes, the center one especially so. His method is to seize his a.s.sailant with his fore paws, and rip him to death with his hinder ones, and sometimes he drowns a dog by holding him under water. Many an incautious or verdant dog has been killed in this way, and occasionally men have fallen victims to the powerful hind feet of these animals.

"The 'old man' kangaroo was defending himself bravely, and he had his a.s.sailants at an advantage. The water was too deep for them to wade in.

Some were swimming about in front of him, carefully keeping out of reach, while others were a.s.sailing his back. All of the dogs kept up a loud barking, and kept looking around for human help.

"The kangaroo was more than fifty feet from the sh.o.r.e of the pond or pool, and when our party reached it, the animal was despatched by means of a rifle in the hands of one of our party. The carca.s.s was brought to the sh.o.r.e and skinned, and a portion of the meat was fed to the dogs as a reward for their exertions, and they ate it with avidity. In addition to the 'old man,' we killed a young kangaroo, and the carca.s.s, after being disemboweled, was placed on the black fellow's horse and sent to the station.

"We had kangaroo steaks for dinner, and very toothsome they were, reminding us more of mutton than any other meat. These steaks came from the young kangaroo I just mentioned. The flesh of the 'old man' is too rank for human food, though it is sometimes eaten when no other food is to be had. The flesh of the young kangaroo is put up at meat-canning establishments for transportation to England, and they also export large quant.i.ties of soup made from kangaroo tails. Some people think this soup is preferable to ox tail, or even to turtle. I asked one of our friends about it, and he said, with a smile, that it was better when you couldn't get either of the others. It is certainly an excellent soup, and it's a pity that so much of the raw material goes to waste.

"In returning from our hunt we crossed a portion of the ground where we had chased the kangaroos. One of the dogs scented something in the gra.s.s, and barked in a manner to attract the attention of his owners.

The men hastened to the spot and found a 'joey,' or baby kangaroo, which its mother had taken out of her pouch and laid upon the soft gra.s.s, intending to return and pick it up after the danger was over. It was a pretty little creature, about a foot long, and covered with soft, silky hair. One of the young men took charge of it and carried it carefully to the station, his intention being to raise it and make a pet of it, as he had made pets of the kangaroos that they lost the year before. When taken at this age, the kangaroo becomes perfectly docile, and never shows the least desire for a wild life.

"Our host told us that when the kangaroos are hunted, and there is no water within reach, an 'old man,' if cornered, will place his back against a tree and sell his life as dearly as possible. It is very dangerous to go near him when he is thus defending himself, and it is considered a fortunate circ.u.mstance in a fight of this kind if none of the dogs are killed or injured.

"When the first settlements were made in Australia the kangaroos were not especially numerous, though they were probably more abundant than any other animals. Their numbers were kept down by the aboriginals, who used to hunt them for food and clothing, for which the kangaroo skin was used, and they were also kept down by the dingoes, or wild dogs. The dingoes were then abundant, and unhappily they were fond of mutton, and when sheep were brought to Australia the flocks were very much reduced by the operations of the wild dogs. Of course, the sheep raisers took vengeance on the dingoes, and poisoned them in great numbers.

"At the same time, the aboriginals diminished steadily in number, owing to causes previously stated, and those that remained preferred to live upon mutton and beef obtained from the settlers rather than take the trouble of hunting the kangaroo. Thus, the two natural enemies of that animal were removed, and with their immunity from destruction the kangaroos increased at a terrific rate. Their flocks and herds blackened the fields for miles. They were frequently to be seen feeding among the sheep, and as one kangaroo eats as much gra.s.s as three sheep, it will readily be understood that the sheep farmer's flocks were in danger of being starved out.

"Millions of acres of land were thus rendered unfit for sheep or cattle pasturage. The settlers presented their case to the colonial governments, and the latter placed a bounty on kangaroo scalps.

Meantime, it was found that the skins were worth something, and then the slaughter of the creatures began.

"Hunting with dogs in the way I have already described was altogether too slow, and a quicker method was devised and found successful. This is the way of it:--