DARKEST AUSTRALIA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 61, 26 October 1911, Page 3

DARKEST AUSTRALIA.

AMONG THE BLACKS. • Dr. Woolnough, tho geologist of the scientific expedition which recently visited the Northern'Territory of Australia, has given an interesting description of some of the native inhabitants,of the Territory to the “Sydney Morning .Herald..” He says that tlio expedition was unable to visit the v ildcst portions of tho country, where the blacks arp quite uncivilised, but the explorers met Targe .numbers of natives along the Upper and;' Macarthur Rivers. . Some of them were existing in a very primitive state, but the white men , experienced-no trouble with them, although the Roper River blacks have a vMy-'ifnsavonry reputation. Large,.numbers, an,e,. employed m the huge.,cattle stations of; the Territory. They} are] extremely; well treated, and they . .do very good work as ,stockmen, : tiie ■ women finding employment on ;the: ( .s l tqtiops as well (is die* men. Where They are. living under fairly natural conditions they appear to bo strong and healthy, and Dr. Woolnough believes that they are not decreasing. He thinks the blacks arc very well off on tho stations and it would he hard to devise any scheme for bettering thoii: position. Their tribal laws, which arc very strict, arc administered by the old men, to whom the young people arc completely subservient. The natives are very good to their, children and to the old folk, who arc supplied always with the best food. In their wild state tho blacks know few trophies. There are some very largo tribes in tho almost unknown c6uiitfy hear tho Daly and Fitzmanrice Rivers, .but they live an easy life. ■ Lily roots provide all tho vegetable food thov require, and game is plentiful. i)r. Woolnough says that the-men are superb hunters. They light huge grass fires to drive the kangaroos’from their cover and then spear them. The range of a spear hurled with the aid of a throw-ing-stick' is very considerable, and up to forty orjifty yards the marksmanship is very good. The natives impressed Dr. Woolnough very favourably, and ho says the travellers who treat thorn kindly and firmly has nothing to fear from them. Dr. Woolnough’s opinion agrees with that expressed recently by other scientists who have gone among the blacks in Australia’s darkest territory.