WASHING DAY IN WEST AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 250, 15 July 1908, Page 5

WASHING DAY IN WEST AUSTRALIA.

. Washing day. is an affliction inevitable, tp all .countriesvand 1 households, but ,the .man-; ~'ner of it differs according to the country in ■ which;- it takes" place. A, description of - the 1 proceedingsthat. take place. on an out of. : the way ;West Australian station is given by Alice ->Howe >in ; the "Sydney Morning v Herald!'':—lt is ! 4.30 a.m., and the .bell ring-' ing'to'call up the native servants rouses me . from- a;r sound.sleep. .: -the-- dawn.of a ' tropical,; summer' day, and j my,:, bedv, isa stretcherjiundeiy-a 1 drooping warralong treeno mattress—a pillow and paif of sheets ber ing allthat'.is. endurable. ,-A' soft breeze . the;'leaves- ; and my.y sheets; are : ( drenched [with dewl; It' is, a pleasant ■' geri'sation.'wakingi'Tvith only.the trembling green leaves 'between-!yoivand the sky—such a sky. The 'natives coming ;'t'o "their,'morning" duties remin'dj'ineof. the day's Mil ties^'^ 'great cbattering^s I ' already going on-.iirihie. region of : the 'laundry, -and 'on going there I. find -the Vomenf;Sallie, Chloe,- Chattferbbxj'!'and..Topsy. all hard'at work.' Ttfohiige tubs are filled, • the copper. .fire lighted up,-rand a. great;gathering'.has. commenced. .These Ifwomeri'. make , excellent'. laundressts—they love soap, and if they; have a big lather on' the. ; tubs; are; perfectly happy." .Ihavo to siiperintend, operations,- and watch the workclosely,asoften all spot? - which;.need .careful rubbing will be quite;- overlooked. ; Sbo'nsth'e breakfast ;gong calls: me away', ; -for on this, station 'the fast Jfrom. 5.30 to 6.30 a.m., '.this' ■ latter".being iconsidered a late ' hour. _ Even now all the dewy beauty of'the'morning,has : ■ gone.»: The sun'is up looking red and'angry, . and ■tbq glass-'registers _over .90;deg/ Fahr. , Breakfast over I adjourn to-the laundry. ■ withput.^loss ; of; time. '■ The women are seated : f still 'at'theirmeal,, under-the warralong trees.;. They, squat on; the'ground,' beside.ithdir.; respective .men, numbers of 'dogs, fowls', and turkeys sifiTpiiriding'them; arid .exchange.'morsels ■ :of "tucker"—bread, meat; and. ..tea.. •/'l' call "Mpodij" .'Moodiani-",; (hurry up,' you fellows)'; "but hnrry is foreign to the nature • of ;the.--'norVwest'' native. .".They, have, that ropose of .manner which is the«supposed out- • come of centuries of gentle birth. The-only time: they- "Moodi". is wheiKi&neigbbouring' blackfellow 'comes on a 'rpmki" (holiday trip); >Then ;the whole colony rushes with ■ open;-arms'. '"a"-;' - '."'; to ,-return to the laundry. After;;ex;. changing f affectionatej farewells . andi/Vjoke-s - with-their men, the women saunter'up chewing theiri "tpnna" .(tobacco)., . Arrived at, the laundry this delicate -morsel is tucked behind the ear,"and a;vigorous spitting goes. , on before thei. washing; is fairly set going ' again: J is not in. a good temper this She' had, it appears,, a. dispute, I':.-. with her .husband pvernightj and as she al-' ways gets'; the'better, of him; in.argument, he : sottlea : ifcjfifially with"'his-thickest stick.' The men ~about the station warn me about Chloe as ai''pointer,'' but- she is a good worker ;if 'left; alone. She has. a splendid carriage, and'i.; most,'cynical expression,- and -is .very inquisitive about, other parts : of'the ' world: When' I t-ell 1 her there are no black fellows in the most utter-dis-: . belief. She;tells me—"You /wongi me; a lie" • —a-.sblg, liej"j-. and-.she ;has ..to sit, down, . stretch. out,'ber ; 'long'"Black legs, draw her . "warra" up''round ' her waist", and ".'spit very . vigorously for a s . few minutes.'; : I - venture • 'to remind her. 'of the - big pile of clothes still ■ awaiting f her ministrations'; 1 m,; after . ; some' ' deliberation, she gets up'and resumes .work,giving me, a caution as she does so,j that the last missus made " her ' sulky' fellow -becauso. she ''wongi" her too much this way.' "Now" then you'Chloe," and "Moodi, moodi, moodi." .After this;waniing : I think silence the:bet-' ter part, and only , venturo on a compliment to her "quickness now aud then, which she, reri . ceiy'cs with-jlofty,- disdain. The. copper; by' this time has been emptied, refilled, and emptied again, and the four women begin to sing some monotonous native;air, now arid then making; jokes to each other. Every-; thing is going on;swimmingly, or'il'should ■ perhaps'say latheringly," when on a sudden :it occurs to Chatterbox-to open'a small box, take .'out. her and sit' down,.to grin, .examine her' really.' b'eautiful tepihj' and"' . rearrange her greasy hair," no persuasion of. •-, mine can induce.; her to stop...-. The ; mirror is' handed round, 1 ' arid each"in. turn admires, arranges, grins, and. gesticulates -to herself; and one has to sit by. with what patience-one': may 'till they'are in a working humour ,again. ■ They decide it is too • hot frir work with clothes on, so strip, except for a, small loin ■ cloth, .and .continue to. rlib; and !sing with all their might." ' Tho.'laundry is. ge'tting so hot'that I give a/great 'sfeh of relief as* I see that—all the.'better clothes being disposed of—l may;leave the women to themselves. The gong? sounds again for ' morn-! • ■ ing tea_ or tiflSn, at 9.30, and-the. women are .then given a large jug of tea and a . thick ■: ,slice of bread.and jam or treacle as a reward for their "work.,./ They lie about-the laundry attitudes, .and in every stage 'of' ■; dishabille, jand.'.clatter; arid ..sing like, happy /children,..except' .'poor; old : Sallie, who seems 1 to have a;.;vrfflght',;,pn -'- her mind, and groans loud and Iprig at intervals. Of Sallie and her trouble I 'could tell you; much, but 1 that ■is Vnother.story—a. love story.■ " • •