Part 20 (2/2)

SUICIDE BY CROCODILE

It has been said that Australian blacks never cooes in proof of the contrary occurred notfroe to the sea arecreeks, blacks take every precaution against surprise, rafts of buoyant logs strapped together with lawyer vine being used These rafts are continually drifting across to the island, proving how general is their use Maria Creek (about a dozen miles or so up the coast) is well known to be a popular resort of the crocodile, and at thefellow had his headquarters A member of the Clump Point tribe, painfully afflicted with a vexatious skin disease, was fishi+ng at the mouth of the creek when his hook fouled To a coet it clear His friend endeavoured to dissuade hi him of the crocodile which they had, seen but a short time before But the boy, ith pain and weary with never-ending irritation, said if he was taken--”No matter Good job Me finished then” He dived, and there was a co frantic appeals for help, while the crocodile worried him He escaped for a moment, and his friend clutched his hand and drew hirasp The blacks believe the crocodile took the fish bait in the first instance and lured the boy to dive The boy certainly knew the risk he ran when he did so

A new, if not altogether agreeable, sensation is added to the gentle art if it is realised that a cruel and stealthy beast is engaged in a similar pastime, with the fisherman as the object of its sport

DISAPPEARANCE OF BLACKS

The rapid disappearance of blacks from localities which held a considerable population causes wonder In the early days--less than a couple of decades past--they swarmed on the mainland opposite Dunk Island Now the nuht of Braed to have been responsible for the murder of some of the crew of a wrecked vessel, who had drifted ashore on a raft One boy bears to this day the mark of a bullet on his cheek, received when his mother fled for her life, and vainly, with him an infant perched on her shoulders

In those days ”troublesome” blacks were disposed of with scant ceremony

An incident has been repeated to me several times A mob of ”myalls”

(wild blacks)--they were all le froet the anticipated reco a bullock, and disappeared After a tiiveness, and, the fears of the blacks of punishain One day a bucket of ht to the camp at dinner-time and served out with pannikins The milk had been poisoned ”One fella feel 'e his stomach ”Run away; tumbledown; finish 'Nother boy runaway; finish

just now plenty dead everywhere Soreeted as another version of the familiar story of poisoned flour or damper It is mentioned here as an instance from the bad old days when both blacks and whites were offhand in their relations with each other Such episodes are of the past The present is the age of official protection, and perhaps just a trifle too much interference and meddlesomeness

Two blacks of the district confessed upon their trial that they had killed their ive them part of his own dinner of meat On the other hand, an instance of the callousness of the white man may be cited In a fit of the sulks one of the boys of the ca, and made off into the scrub It was considered necessary to iave the opportunity A strange and perfectly innocent boy appeared on the opposite bank of the creek The ”boss”

was a noted shot, and as the boy sauntered along he deliberately fired at him The body fell into the water and drifted down stream One of the boys for whose discipline the wanton murder was committed related the incident to me

CHAPTER II

GEORGE: A MIXED CHARACTER

George, who considered himself as acco histhe work of his unaccustomed hands in a rueful frame of mind, the boss recited, ”Thou fatal and perfidious barque, built in eclipse and rigged with curses dark!” ”Ah,” said he, ”you bin hear that before, George?” ”No,” replied the boy; ”I no bin hear 'ee peered into one of the rooms of the house, the walls of which were decorated with prints, aered ”What you laugh at, George?” ”Me laugh along that picture--naked That French woman, I think, Boss!” He was evidently of opinion that all true and patriotic Irishmen talk in verse, and in throaty tones, and that the custoether”

Proud of his personal appearance, George shaved regularly once a week, borrowing a mirror to assist in the operation He ont to apply the lather froent kerosene soap with a discarded tooth-brush which he had picked up Long use had thinned the bristles woefully, but the brush was used faithfully and with grave deliberation One a shaving? This fella close up lose 'eether”

The sensational episodes of his trooper days provided George with unending theave an account to a friend of the suppression of a black rogue, a faithful report of which is presented as an exae--”You bin hear about Mr Liht proper; close up killed We three fella ride about Cap'n--big strong boy that--ar that fella--longa gully Hit Mr Li fella stick, like that one Toht--short handle Heavy fella that--carn lif 'em easy, one hand Mr Limsee tumbledown Get up That boy kill 'e fella boy that Catch 'eround, hard fella--like that Me and Cap'n coround yet--'hello! Mr Limsee, you bin hurt?' 'Yes, my boy I hurt plenty Not a sword You catch that fella Hold 'eht' He have 'em spear Me tell 'eht, you fella' Me say --'You no runaway I shoot you' He say all a tiht you' Me say--'You fool, you carn fight alonga this fella bullet

He catch you blurry quick' That fella stop one place We two fella go up alongside Cap'n he say--'Hold up your hand Le' me look your hand?'

He hold up hand Quick we put 'e out loud--loud like anything We two fella laugh plenty Mr Lia tree, and belt hi out--sing out--sing out

Mr Lio He bad fella boy that altogether We fella--go ho camp Mr Limsee feel 'em sore tchoulder Nex' day that boy--very tchausey fella--coht that fella Cap'n' Cap'n coround Get up; tchuk hia stone Two fella wrastle all about long ti Knock 'e Bi' handle Tchuk 'ea side--here Wire come out nother side--here He carn stay--tuo alonga house tell 'e a caa inside' Mr Limsee come down He say--'Cap'n, my boy, I think you finish now; a side Hollow inside Suppose spear go along a leg and aro inside, hollow place inside, you finish quick Plenty times me bin see 'em man finish that way Mr Limsee he very sorry We catch that boy Put han'cup behind, lika that way My word he carn run away now Chain alonga leg Mr Limsee bi'o along Sen'eleena (St Helena penal establishet two years Cap'n he carn stay Two days that fella dead He bin good a boy”

Once George illu a battle between the Tully River blacks and those of Clump Point, in which his mate, Tom of Dunk Island (leader of the Clump Point party), had been severely wounded, he said--”'Nother fella boy from outside, come up behind To

Booa Tom Tom no feel 'em first time He stan'

up yet Bi'mby alk about, tu He notie--”Ah! a head Finish 'ee wished to enforce the opinion that in battle nothing short of death was glorious, or that Toain, was not clear, but ”Danger nebber dead,” probably represents the only aboriginal aphorism extant