A MATTER OF SALVAGE.

NZ Truth, Issue 72, 8 December 1906, Page 7

A MATTER OF SALVAGE.

(5y HERBERT C. KENT.) Authtr of " The Order of Release," "New Chum,'' Etc., Etc

I'll write untroubled by cultured fools Or tlie dense thai fume and fret ; For against the wisdom of all their schools, I would stake mine instinct yet. For the cynical strain m the writer's song, Is the world, not he, to blame ; And I'll write as I think m the knowledge strong, That thousands think the same. HENBY LAWBON. CHAPTER m. | TOPSY'S GIFT.— A CORBOBORiIii. I The King and the remainder of his subjects, having listened patiently to the . speeches which had been made, now con- _ sidered that there had been quite enough jabber for one night, and they had bettor sleep on it. In fact, his private opinion publicly expressed was "Too much plurry jabber, I think it, bym- j by men kick up— bobbery like a— lot of gins, then they get plurry jaws broke all the same." After this expression of sublime wisdom King Paddy joined the Queen, and after a little gentle argument, which concluded by his knocking his consort all of a heap into their gunyah, " things subsided to their normal state, and the occupants of the oamp were all soon snoring peaceably. Harry was now left alone by the fast dying fire. He could not sleep, but lay, half clothed as he was; on the bare ground, thinking deeply. Taking the best possible view of circumstances he was m a most unenviable situation, withdut necessary clothing; for he had nob even a T pair of boots or covering for his head, and cast ashore among an evidently, unfriendly tribe of aboriginals, some of whom resented his presence, while at the same time they seemed to object to his departure from among them. After a time he fell into an uneasy doze, from which he was suddenly awakened by feeling something cold touch one of his bare feet, and looking up he saw Teddy- on his hands and knees peering out from under the sheet of bark, which was evidently his domicile. He beckoned with one hand, and Harry, seeing by the dim moonlight that the expression of his face denoted caution, crept quietly under the friendly shelter. "Now look here, boss," whispered Teddy. "Those fellows don't mean to let you get away without a row, so just stop m camp to-morrow till I see what's up." "But why won't they le', me go? I'm of no use to them, and I've done them no harm." . „ "Don't know," was the reply m a low tone. "But they won't. So don't try and make a get of it, or you'd be lost m the scrub, and most likely get a knock on the head chucked m." "Very well, I'll stop here. ' , "Yes, and don't you never let Mullet or Bendigo get behind you, boss. They've got a 'down' on missionaries and white folk, but I haven't. They always treated me all right, and I'd have been better off if I'd stopped with theni." "Why don't you?" "My old womani she wouldn t stop, so 1 had to clear out with the rest. I was a bit of a preacher at the mission, and it paid me all right. I got plenty tucker and 'bacca. "Then you're a Christian?" "You bet your boots I was, when I got paid for it." Soon after this the conversation ended, and Harry again took up his position by the fire, and slumbered on until daylight, when the blacks kicked their women folk out to prepare their breakfast, which they I did with much clattering and banging about, ! while the picaninnies- tumbled over each ! other and added to the noise considerably. After a scanty meal the men, accompanied by some of the women, departed on a hunfci ing trip, leaving Harry and old Ben the only i male occupants of- the camp. Life with the blackfellow is one eternal search fdr food, for he is no tiller of the soil like the South Sea islander. The women i search with a digging-stick for roots, grubs, j or honey ants, and gather acacia, seeds, wild ! plums, and other edibles; but the man is a i hunter, and little else, and for that purpose i the Fraser Islander uses the boomerang as his principal weapon, and this be throws I with great dexterity. A skilful hunter can j make it hit an object some distance away j and return. Armed with but the rudest of weapons, the blacks, m order to exist, develop the arts of stalking and tracking m an extraordinary degree. As a matter of fact, ihe native has not greater power of seeing or hearing than an average white. His skiP is simply the result of incessant training and hereditary aptitude, and loafing around a mission or reserve, and obtaining scraps of food, without either working or exercising His natural abilities, of course makes him year by year, more helpless and less able to provide for himself. <• Taken on the whole before contact with the whites,- his life was neither unhappy nor bestial. The --meeting of the two races means that the weaker loses health, self-respect, and tribal organisation, as the number of blacks diminish. They quickly learn all the white man's vices, but few of his virtues, for even on a Church Mission the class of men sent to show an example to an inferior race do not themselves live m a manner which will bear imitation,* and the aboriginal native of Australia is, above all things, an "imitator," especially m matters which carry no work with them. Harry spent the greater part of the day fishing, with a line he had made from the sisal hemp plant, which flourishes on the sandy ground, being determined that for the remainder of his stay among these people he would capture and cook his own food, and thus save a repetition of the previous night's offensive culinary arrangements. It was clearly perceptible that Agnes (Mrs. Mullfet) kept a close watch upon his movements, and was ready to report any sign of his leaving the district without permission. Returning to camp about two hours before sunset, he prepared and partook of his supper before the hunters returned, sharing it with the "gins" and "picaninnies," who 6warmed around him. He also gave a liberal share to Martha and old Ben, who smacked their toothless gums with delight, and no doubt thought that a man who so recklessly gave away what he might save for himself was a pure, unadulterated idiot. "Bymby go bring pelenty pfish," crowed the old woman, which sentiment was "encored to the echo" by old Ben. [ Our friend had now sufficient leisure' to "take stock" of the women and children. To tell the truth, the more he saw of them the less he admired tJiem. Like all the "daughters. of Eve" who have ever lived (or probably ever will live), they were extremely fond of self-adornment. Though they wore the scantiest of raiment, and that extremely unclean, necklaces of fantastically carved pieces of nautilus and O'fcher pearl shells were around their necks, and bangles of similar material on their wrists; for though they did not seem to have dftsce-ided to such a depth of absurdity as to wear rings of heavy metal m their ' ears or overweight the tops of their heads ' with mighty "creations" like their white sister 3, they were still, quite ridiculously enough ornamented to suit even the most captious, and no doubt with a little encourI agement and plenty of material, they will eventually arrive at that desirable point of

modern civilisation, when they will be so tightly and fearfully got up that when one of them drops her purse m a crowded street she will be utterly unable to stoop and pick it up for fear of something important breaking asunder. It is to be sincerely hoped, however, that before the poor, black women get to that stage the following, verse of the Litany will have become sheeted nearer home :— "From all blindness of heart: from pride, vain glory, and hypocrisy: from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, Good Lord deliver us." The King's wife seemed to possess the most remarkable ornament of all, which took the form of a black, irregularly-shaped mass, something like a lump of slag which had been thrown from a furnace, and was suspended from her neck by a piece of hempen rope about 'half an inch m thickness. Wondering what this extraordinary article could be composed of, Harry asked Queen Topsy to let him see it. In reply to his request she immediately wrenched it from its support and handed it to him, with a smile, disclosing to view two immense rows of teeth, which would almost have filled the mouth of a hippopotamus. On taking the article m his hand he was astonished at its weight, but more astonished to find that the part which had no doubt rubbed against the woman's neck for some years, was fairly clean and of a bright yellow color. . . • "What is it made of?" ho asked. "All right," ehe answered, with another smile, which not only disclosed the formidable rows of teeth, but also showed an enormous red cavern beyond. "All right, I gib 'em," and she waved her claw-like hand, which, as far as she was concerned, was equal to a deed of transfer. Our hero examined -the- -article closely, and the more he looked a* it the more certain he became that -it was composed of gold, and was, consequently, of considerable value. It could not.be a waberworn nugget, ,as two of the sides were perfectly smooth surfaces; therefore, it could not have been subjected, to "the action of running water uniformly as would have been the case if it had been taken from the ground. At last the . truth dawned across his mind It was a number of gold coins welded together by a steady pressure. Perhaps At that moment a loud yell, with the usual accompanying disturbances, announced the approach of the hunters, and this put further surmises from the sailor's mind, so Ihe placed the article m his pocket, intending to make special inquiries at a more suitable opportunity. The men soon reached the camp, each one with a fair load across his shoulders, besides having the women almost loaded down. On arriving near the fire these loads were thrown on the ground. Then commenced a repetition of the previous evening's performance — cooking, gorging, and sleeping. There was not much talking, as they were all too full, of "game" (which consisted of 'possums, iguanas, etc), and they did not even notice Harry, who sat m silence under a bush. Within an hour the camp was perfectly still ; notMng could be heard but the snoring of the repleted blacks,, the occasional mournful wail of the curlew, and m the distance the sullen roar of the waves as they rolled up the sandy beach. . When our hero was satisfied that they were all "dead to the world," he crept into Teddy's gunyah and woke him up, though not without considerable difficulty. When he begun to show signs of consciousness he gradually rose to a sitting position and inquired sleepily — "What's up, boss?" "Have you any news, Teddy?" he asked anxiously. ■'• ; . "No. Only we've got a good bit of tucker now, and it'll finish up with a crobory " (corroboree). "What's a crobory?" • "A dance. This'll be Mullet's crobory, so if you watch it' you might see what's the matter. His missis told my missis that him and Bendigo said you're a nark (spy), and they're afraid to let you go." Teddy did not wait for any comment, but spread himself out again and was soon asleep, while Harry coiled up and begun to think. The sight of thai lump of gold had entirely changed his pkns and prospects, if he could be said to have any plans, when he was merely the "football of fortune." Where that gold came from there must be more, and he meant to find out all he could about it before leaving the oamp, if possible. It may seem strange to my reader, m fact he may feel inclined to pooh! pooh! the idea, that Topsy could have worn a lump of gold hanging to her neck for years and be unaware of its value; but that reader may be assured that even the most civilised Australian blacks have a very crude idea of the value of money. The writer onoe heard one of them unblusbingly demand eight pounds sterling for carrying a hammer twenty yards (and perhaps he deserved it, as it was about the heaviest piece of work he had ever done m his life)'. Another time' a thoroughly intelligent mission black gave me a sovereign for a quarter of a pound of tobacco, and promised to pay the ' balance "bymby, boss." They frequently ask ten shillings for a nautilus shell or a single fish, and depart fairly satisfied with twopence or its equivalent. I say "fairly satisfied," for an aboriginal is never quite so; he always has a lingering spark of doubt m his breast as to what kind of a "deal" he has had; m fact, if any white person gives him anything outright it- makes him very unhappy, as he is convinced that the person has "got a point on him" somehow, though he cannot see where it has come m. I remember once getting up a collection m the mission church m aid of the building fund, being under the impression that if the aboriginal wants a. church he should stand a share of the expense m building it, and not throw the whole burden upon his whitebrethren, many of whom. can very ill afford it. Having announced beforehand that anything saleable would be accepted, a large number of articles were placed upon the table — boomerangs, shells, baskets, and other articles; but they one and all requested to have their articles back again on leaving the church, and one, "Jack Fqxbon," kicked up a great fuss because m a genera! scramble he got back the wrong boomerang m place of one be had "pat m the plate," and which he valued at '^thirteen pounds ten." . I had to "square him" with a pound of sugar at twopence halfpenny. , : But I must return to my "castaway," whom I left coiled up under a bush cogitating. There was no fear of any interruption or interference of any kind. If a thunderbolt had dropped into that camp at the time it would not have aroused a single black, for they were "full up" of the good things they had partaken of at supper. This was the time Harry could have made his esoape; he might, if he had wished, easily have reaohea the other side of the island by daybreak. But no. Not now. The sight of that piece of gold had excited his hopes and ambition. He would stay at any risk, m hopes of finding treasure, if any. When a blackfellow has plenty of food he eats until his "inwards" will hold no more. Then he sleeps, and on waking tackles the tucker again. Then he sleeps some more, and so on until the last bit has gone; but he will not stari hunting again before hn is on the verge of starvation. Then, witi> *

groan, he tightens the cord around hi* waist, and reluctantly starts on another expedition- It is only on rare occasions that he obtains sufficient for a real good gorge; as a rule, it is hand to mouth, and nobbingover. In about two days the natives "came to,'* and, looking about, found that tbere was nothing left to eat, so following their usual

custom, they kicked the women out to go and fish, while they made preparations for the "crobory" Teddy had 6poken about. To make this part of my story intelligible, I must explain the meaning of the word "corroboree." It is not, as many people suppose, a war dance; on the contrary, it is essentially a peaceful celebration. The aboriginals possess nothing -m the shape of literature; no? have they any visible permanent means <,i retaining and hauding down to future generations the past history of tribes or individuals; therefore the tales told by the "oldest inhabitants" would ba the only means they have of letting the present generation know ' about the great deeds of their forefathers, if it were not foa the fact that the principal events m the history of their tribe were kept green m their ■memories by having them repeated again and again m the form of a "corroboree." In due time the preparations' for the ; performance were complete, and .it took place, on the night of full moon. A huge fire was. lit, and the women and children collected near it m groups, and started by beating 1 boomerangs together and accompanying tha sound by singing a weird dirge m a low key,, gradually increasing the volume until they were screaming at the top of their shrill voices. There was not much m the way of harmony about it, but this was amply compensated for by the amount of energy; thrown into the action. Meanwhile tha podgy, dirty brats kept the fire going by piling dry branches upon it. Sometimes a brat would get co near to the fire that ifc was m danger of being burnt, m which case the nearest woman would stretch out and eieze the child by its nearest part— generally a foot, but often the "wool," and drag ib howling and kicking away; then the nest woman wduld "pass it on," either with her foot or the palm of the hand; but the din did not cease. On the contrary, -th-ese little. items only had .the 1 effect of adding to fcha. general hubbub. " Harry was the only spectator at . the commencement, but Teddy afterwards cama limping along and sat beside him on theground. "Hello, Teddy. Have you hurt yourself?'* "No plurry fear. Don't like this 'croborj.* No good." By this time the opening' chorus was finished, and a sound like the roaring of wild beasts followed, which seemed to come from the darkened scrub beyond Urn range of the firelight. "What's that row?" asked Hairy. "This crobory's 'bout sunthin* long time. ago. That's the sound of the sea wauter; big storm." Very soon the roaring ceased, and several black native forms appeared m the field of view. Some had nullahs, while others were* armed with boomerangs. The men seonied to be listening intently, then they rushed away with a loud yell. ■ ' "Ship got drowndecl. All the same as yoar ship;" explained Teddy. "Now the blokes have run down to the beach to pici: up things. The women'll begin barracldn','' which they did with a vengeance, sending, scream a£ter scream, after the perfonr.r-vs, who had retired to come on a little lair-r a the, second act. . ' . This opened with all the men dragging c:i a struggling figure, who' was daubed with white clay, to represent a wrecked scauion. They then squatted round the fire raid commenced a jabbering match, the women faithfully "keeping their ■end up" by -screaming and banging boomerangs. The performance needed /no interpreter now. Harry could understand the iiwaning full well, and he gazed on with widely-ex-tending eyes and trembling lips. They were supposed' to have rescued a man from a wreck, and were now going to- kill and c:it liitn. Was ' this < a picture of something which had occurred m the past, or — - "Teddy," he asked m a voice which iivmbled, though not with cold. "What decs it mean?" "It doesn't mean nothing. Don't I i«ll you it's old Ben's 'crobory.' Mulkt, he works it. Someifching been happen, long time gone." This somewhat reassured our hero, who was beginning to think that what he saw .was meant for a forecast' rather than. a retrospect, and, he watched the conrss of 'affairs anxiously, almost wishing that he had "cleared out" the previous evening when ho had the chance. The naked performers then rose to their feet, singing and dancing wildly. Suddenlyone man, who was armed with a tomahawk, rushed m, and with a single blow pretended to fell the captive to the ground, while tha women heaped more wood on 'the fire, shrieking like demons. Where the fine had burned down, a bundle (got up to represent the body of the murdered man), containing a shark which bad keen captured during tho day, was thrown* upon the glowing coals, and the wVIo tribe— men, women, and children—;dzaccd joyfully around it. Before tha oarcase was fairly warmed through they • dragged it from the fire, and, after settling down on their haunches,- tore it to pieces with their claws, and devoured it greedily. This time the women were allowed equal liberty with the men; as a matter of fact, the former had. worked themselves into such a state of frenzy that he would have had to be a bold man indeed who. proposed their expulsion. , "That's all. Come and have a feed," said Teddy, who, suiting the action to the word, was soon hard at it with the rest, devouring) the shark, which was still quivering with life. "Where's the white fella?" shouted tha King. "Come on, boss, plurry good crobory* Have some tucker." And he placed a junk: of the fast-disappearing offal m Henry's hand, who at once handed it to Topsy, .who was squatted behind him m. anticipation o£ some such event, she having already 'wolfed* her share of the feed. When tho sickening orgie was over and everyone thoroughly satisfied, Mullet crawled; up beside our hero and hissed m his ear "Eat shark pfish to-day. Bymby budgeria crobory eat white man. sailor." Meanwhile old Ben sat at the doer of his gunyah, his eyes glistened and hie toothless gums snapped, while he rubbed his -skinny, shrivelled hands together as tho "crobory" brought to his mind how, he had played ;ui active part m a similar performance, many years before, and Harry went to his "burrow" that night feeling satisfied that the time was rapidly approaching when he -and Mullet would settle their difficulty somehow; he was no coward, and did not intend to let; one blackfellow frighten him too much; but the question occurred to him agaiji ;md again "WLy has that man such a dislike to me ?"' *The writer does not make this ata'enienfe recklessly. Ho was for nearly six :::omh3 acting superintendent of Fraser Island Mission, and for the first half of "that b'imn his white assistants lived m a state of deadly animosity towards each other. Lactvrly, they struck up a close friendship, which was even more disastrous to the peace of the settlement than their former enmity bsd been. The quarrels of missionaries amosj. themselves as to "who shall be the greatest, I ', etc., are too well known to need f:irll;er comment here. This state of disrJt&aioa and quarrelsomeness culminated m Lha breaking up of this mission. ju:d with the exception of a few,, very few, of ihasn who were afterwards sent <o Northern Queensland—"Behold, the last state of those mtS was worsa than the nrst>." (To bfi continued^